Marlee Matlin asked about death of William Hurt, who she accused of rape, in uncomfortable interview

Oscar-winning actor alleged that she was raped and left with ‘bruises every day’ by star, who has died at the age of 71

Marlee Matlin was asked to speak about the death of her ex-boyfriend William Hurt, who she once accused of physical and sexual abuse, in an uncomfortable red carpet interview.

Matlin, 56, and Hurt – who died on Sunday (13 March) at the age of 71 – were a couple in the Eighties, having met on the set of the Oscar-winning film Children of a Lesser God.

In 2009, Matlin accused Hurt of repeated abuse during their relationship.

Asked on the red carpet at Sunday’s (13 March) Critic’s Choice Awards for her thoughts on Hurt’s death – only hours after the news broke – Matlin expressed shock at the question.

“You’re the first person to ask me about him,” she told a reporter from Entertainment Tonight, via a translator.

After a pause, Matlin continued: “We’ve lost a really great actor and working with him on set in Children of a Lesser God will always be something I remember very fondly.”

She added: “He taught me a great deal as an actor and he was one-of-a-kind.”

In 2009, Matlin – who won an Oscar in 1987 for Children of a Lesser God – said that she had “fresh bruises every day” while dating Hurt: “I was always afraid of him, but I loved him. Or maybe I thought I did. But look, I was 19, he was 35.”

In her 2010 autobiography I’ll Scream Later, Matlin alleged that Hurt once “threw me on the bed, started ripping off his clothes and mine” and proceeded to rape her. She also alleged that on the night of her Oscar win, Hurt berated her in a limousine shortly after the ceremony.

Matlin claimed that Hurt asked her “What makes you think you deserve it?”, before adding: “There are hundreds of actors who have worked for years for the recognition you just got handed to you. Think about that.”

Hurt addressed Matlin’s allegations in a statement in 2009. “My own recollection is that we both apologised and both did a great deal to heal our lives,” he wrote. “Of course, I did and do apologise for any pain I caused. And I know we have both grown. I wish Marlee and her family nothing but good.”

Marlee Matlin and William Hurt in 1986’s ‘Children of a Lesser God' (Moviestore/Shutterstock)

Matlin has been on the awards circuit with her drama film CODA, which is nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Last night, it took home the Best Screenplay award at the Baftas. It tells the story of the daughter (Emilia Jones) of deaf parents.

Hurt’s death was confirmed by his son Will in a statement that said the actor died “peacefully and of natural causes”, one week before his 72nd birthday.

Stars including Ben Stiller, Mark Ruffalo, Russell Crowe and Bryce Dallas Howard have also paid tribute to the Oscar-winner, whose other credits included Broadcast News, Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Incredible Hulk.

If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here. And if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247, or visit their website here.