Gropegate
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The entire collection of events surrounding the allegations of Arnold Schwarzenegger groping women on movie sets is referred to as Gropegate.
In the days preceding the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, it was widely reported by the media that Schwarzenegger, who was leading in the polls (and subsequently won the election) groped scores of women on movie sets during his film acting career. The allegations caused an especially large stir because they were reported only a few days before the election, while it was maintained by some that these media sources, particularly the Los Angeles Times, had the damaging information for weeks before they chose to report it.
While Schwarzenegger publicly apologized for some of his actions (not specifying which), saying he "behaved badly," and denied others, there was further speculation that the current governor, Gray Davis, was responsible for financing a campaign to locate women who were willing to make these allegations. This speculation was never substantiated, and, with the landslide victory of Schwarzenegger, the media frenzy surrounding the gropings dissipated. The scandal led to Schwarzenegger's being referred to as "Herr Gröpenführer" in the Doonesbury cartoon strip; he is also portrayed as only a giant grasping hand.
Former television personality Anna Richardson settled a libel lawsuit in August 2006 against Schwartzeneggar and two of his top aides, Sean Walsh and publicist Sheryl Main. Richardson alleges that the California governor had groped her breast during a 2000 interview in London, England, to promote The Sixth Day, in which he had starred as an actor. Although, during his 2003 election campaign, Schwarzenegger had promised to respond to the allegations of sexual harassment by Richardson and several other women, he failed to do so after being elected.[citation needed] The groping followed Richardson's remark to Schwarzenegger that her breasts were "real," rather than the results of surgical breast augmentation. Main recalls the incident somewhat differently, claiming that she cupped one of her breasts and asked the actor-become-governor what he thought about them. According to information that Schwarzenegger has publicized, he has spent $600,000 in his legal defenses of himself and his aides against libel [1].
