American actress Ashley Johnson, known for her role as Ellie in the “The Last of Us” video game series (as well as her role as Ellie’s mother in the TV adaptation of the game), has accused her ex-boyfriend and fellow actor, Brian Foster, of sexual violence. The lawsuit has been joined by five other women, including Foster’s sister.
The lawsuit was filed in the Supreme Court of Los Angeles on Tuesday. There are six plaintiffs in total, one of whom wishes to remain anonymous. They all accuse Foster of domestic violence, sexual harassment, assault, stalking, invasion of privacy, and psychological terror.
These actions are alleged to have taken place over the past decade and are said to be driven by the actor’s addiction to drugs and alcohol. “Foster left an indelible mark on his victims. He attempted to control their lives through lies, threats, intimidation, and manipulation,” reads the lawsuit. Additionally, Johnson accuses Foster of extortion and attempting to extort money from her. The man allegedly threatened to publicly reveal intimate details of her life unless she paid him $150,000.
Johnson and Foster’s relationship began in 2012, before they both joined the cast of the web series “Critical Role.” The aggressive behavior of the man is said to have escalated during their relationship. The couple broke up in 2023, but after the breakup, the actor allegedly carried a “black bag with two air-compressed guns and a garrote” to intimidate his former partner. He also reportedly surveilled her through home monitoring and stalked her on social media.
He posted a picture of her dogs on Instagram, marking the location as “Robert Blake’s Garden,” a reference to an actor who was acquitted of murder in the first trial but later found guilty in a civil court.
Johnson’s sister, who is also one of the plaintiffs, accuses Foster of making indecent sexual comments and sexually harassing her sister and her own children.
Johnson is a prominent voice actress known for her roles in video games, TV series, and films. Her most significant role is that of Ellie, the survivor of a human apocalypse, in the “The Last of Us” duology. In the HBO TV series adaptation of the iconic title, Johnson portrays Ellie’s mother, a character absent from the game.