Transformers screenwriter Roberto Orci faces allegations of domestic violence and sexual harassment by his wife Adele Heather Taylor

Trigger warning: This article contains references to sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Roberto Orci, the producer of “The Proposal” (2009) and screenwriter of the “Star Trek” and “Transformers” film series, was accused in a lawsuit filed on Monday of repeatedly violently attacking and sexually abusing his wife Adele Heather Taylor.

According to Variety, Taylor claims in multiple reports that Orci was aggressive and so alcoholic that he verbally and physically abused her, and on some days she had bruises on her body from him hitting her.

In May 2022, she reported, Orci threatened to sexually abuse her. She claimed Orci dragged her into her yard, where he forcibly restrained and abused her.

A report from Variety says he sexually assaulted her and taunted her in a previous incident in June. The allegations also detail an incident in April 2020 when Taylor was arrested on domestic violence charges for attacking Orci, who called the police. Orci then posted bail for her.

Taylor left Orci shortly after what she described as a brutal attack orchestrated by him in December 2022. She claimed that she was able to obtain a recording of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen writer threatening violence, while also boasting that because of her previous arrest, no one would believe her if she ever decided to report him.

Orci then filed for a temporary restraining order against Taylor and began divorce proceedings.

In June, Orci filed a lawsuit against Taylor, claiming she assaulted him on multiple occasions, including with tasers and pepper spray. In his employment discrimination suit, Orci admitted facts about his alcohol addiction, multiple overdoses that resulted in hospitalization, and participation in multiple rehabilitation programs. He then claimed that The Blacklist actress bullied him by supporting his downward spiral and tricking him into giving her valuable possessions.

Adele Heather Taylor's lawsuit, which sparked the countersuit, raised the issue of trust, which led the parties to agree to transfer the majority of her assets to a family trust, but that it was not to be divided equally. She argued that Roberto Orci has since breached that agreement and has also failed to support her financially.

Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence, assault or abuse, please contact your nearest mental health professional, NGO or talk to someone about it. There are several helplines for such cases.

ALSO READ: SDCC 2024: Key highlights from the Transformers One panel with voice actors Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry