What We Know About The Serious Allegations Against SNL Alum Horatio Sanz
The following article includes graphic allegations of sexual assault.
A sexual assault lawsuit filed against "Saturday Night Live" alum Horatio Sanz in August 2021 contained some disturbing details to say the least. A Pennsylvania woman — identifying as "Jane Doe" to protect her underage status at the time of events — accused Sanz of grooming and sexually assaulting her at an "SNL" cast party when she was 17. The lawsuit, which names both Sanz and NBC as defendants, stated that Sanz "digitally penetrated her genitals" at a show afterparty in 2002.
Sanz and Doe allegedly first met when Doe was 15 at a "SNL" taping. In subsequent years, she became a regular at cast parties at his request, where Sanz allegedly allowed the minor to drink and inappropriately touched her. By 2001, when Doe was still 16, the lawsuit alleged that Sanz began instant messaging her under the handle "Marblechomper," asking her to send photos of herself and "to perform sexual acts, including masturbation, which he asked her to describe to him." A cyber-sex relationship carried on for years, according to Doe. She claimed in her lawsuit that she "regularly self-medicated with dissociative drugs" and was even once hospitalized for related conditions. Doe alleged she encountered Sanz again at an event in 2019 where he apologized, saying, "[I] swear on a stack of improv books ... I'm a different person."
Now, months after filing her lawsuit, Doe has some important points of emphasis to tack onto her allegations.
Jimmy Fallon was allegedly aware of Horatio Sanz's relationship with minor
Horatio Sanz accuser "Jane Doe" thinks the enabling culture at NBC is also to blame for her sexual interactions with Sanz as a minor. Speaking with the Daily Beast in February, Doe claimed that Sanz's "Saturday Night Live" castmates, including Jimmy Fallon, were aware of their inappropriate relationship. As Doe told the outlet, "Horatio certainly is the main character here, but he didn't abuse me in a vacuum; he abused me all over 'Saturday Night Live.'"
Fallon was one of the main individuals complicit in her sexual relations with Sanz, Doe alleged. Her contact with Sanz allegedly started after Fallon and Sanz emailed her to thank her for starting a Fallon fan site, and the "Tonight Show" host was often adjacent to her and Sanz when their alleged physical relations occurred. "Katherine" (also a pseudonym) corroborated this point, recalling a 2001 cast party where she allegedly witnessed Doe with the two comedians. Katherine said, "She was sitting down next to Horatio and Jimmy Fallon at this table and just talking like they were pals," adding that Sanz and Doe "were definitely cuddly and arms around each other." Doe also told the Daily Beast of an incident in 2002 where Sanz allegedly told her that Fallon didn't care if she was "a slut," prompting her to shut her fan site down.
Sanz's lawyer denied the allegations, claiming the plaintiff is after nothing more than money and attention. "Before filing this lawsuit anonymously, she demanded $7.5 million in exchange for her silence," he said, per Rolling Stone.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).