Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's The Rip director accused of sexual battery and stalking

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s The Rip director Joe Carnahan has been accused of sexual battery and stalking by his ex-girlfriend.

Michelle Crosby, 45, filed legal documents claiming Carnahan, 56, physically attacked her multiple times over the course of their four-year relationship, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Crosby, a lawyer, alleges that after the couple began dating in 2020, Carnahan persuaded her to relocate from Manhattan to Los Angeles, where the relationship quickly deteriorated.

The suit details numerous assaults, including choking, pushing her into a Christmas tree, and striking her repeatedly through a sofa cushion while pinning her beneath his nearly 300-pound frame.

The allegations appear in a cross-complaint filed in response to a lawsuit by Carnahan, who claims Crosby damaged a Porsche he had lent her.

Carnahan has denied all allegations. 

Daily Mail has not received a response to its request for comment from reps for Carnahan, Affleck and Damon. 

Crosby’s filing alleges a 2024 hotel-room incident that 'turned violent,' per court documents reviewed by the outlet.

'What began as consensual intimacy turned violent when Carnahan suddenly yanked her hair as she screamed for him to stop. He refused, remarking, ‘If you think you can do this to me, I will break you of that misunderstanding.’ Afterward he callously laughed and said, ‘I guess you won’t be attending any parties without hair,’” the documents read.

The legal papers added: 'When he was finished, he hastily packed and left the room. Ms. Crosby reported the assault to the Riverside Sheriff’s Department. 

'She sustained permanent scalp damage and bald patches, compounded by stress-related hair loss, forcing her to wear a wig. 

'Shortly afterward, Carnahan emailed her as though nothing had happened, asking for a list of her ‘needs’ and attaching a copy of the script RIP.'

Crosby also accused Carnahan of a 'pattern of physical violence,' claiming in the filing that it included 'shoving her into a Christmas tree, pinning her under his body, grabbing her throat and tackling her to the ground.'

'This was monstrous behavior by a Hollywood director that should not be left unchallenged,' Crosby said, per The Hollywood Reporter. 'These grave matters demand accountability.'

Carnahan’s attorney Wendy Slavkin said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, 'This was a completely consensual relationship which ended in Spring 2024 and since then the other party has consistently threatened Joe with exactly what you’re reading now – the threat to attack Joe publicly when his film was released. 

'The allegations against Joe were dismissed in July of 2025 and he has not had any contact with the defendant outside of a courtroom last May, while trying to obtain a permanent restraining order against her.'

Carnahan recently directed Affleck and Damon in The Rip, which racked up 41.6 million views in its first three days on Netflix in January. 

Crosby filed her cross-complaint before the film’s press tour.

Inspired by a 2016 Miami-Dade narcotics raid, the movie follows a team of Miami officers who discover millions in cash and must decide whether to keep it.