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Lisa Hoffman is the wife of actor Dustin Hoffman. The two have been married for more than 37 years.
On December 14, Dustin Hoffman, 80, was accused of exposing himself to a minor nearly 40 years ago.
“Cori Thomas was in high school when she says Dustin Hoffman exposed himself to her in a hotel room. Melissa Kester was a recent college graduate when Hoffman allegedly sexually assaulted her while recording audio for the film Ishtar. A third woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Hoffman assaulted her in the back of a station wagon and manipulated her into a subsequent sexual encounter that left her traumatized,” Variety reports.
Hoffman’s attorney, Mark A. Neubauer, called the accusations “defamatory falsehoods.” Neither Dustin nor Lisa Hoffman, 63, has released a public statement on these new claims.
Here is what you need to know:
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1. Dustin Hoffman’s Name Surfaced in Sex Scandals Last Month
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- The legendary actor was named in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter on November 1. The post was written by a woman named Anna Graham Hunter, who claimed that she was sexually harassed by Hoffman.
Below is part of Hunter’s account. Some of the language is vulgar and may be NSFW.
“When I was a senior in high school in New York City, interning as a production assistant on the set of the Death of a Salesman TV film, he asked me to give him a foot massage my first day on set; I did. He was openly flirtatious, he grabbed my ass, he talked about sex to me and in front of me. One morning I went to his dressing room to take his breakfast order; he looked at me and grinned, taking his time. Then he said, ‘I’ll have a hard-boiled egg … and a soft-boiled clitoris.’ His entourage burst out laughing. I left, speechless. Then I went to the bathroom and cried.”
Hunter goes on to share a journal, of sorts, describing her relationship with Dustin Hoffman on set.
Since that time, a few other women have come forward, claiming that they, too, were sexually harassed by the Rain Man actor. One of the most notable was Death of a Salesman actress Kathryn Rossetter.
2. Lisa Hoffman Recently Admitted That Marriage Is a Lot of Work
The Hoffmans exchanged vows in Roxbury, Connecticut, back in 1980.
Being married to the same person for over 25 years seems like an anomaly nowadays, but the Hoffmans are still going strong. They have 37 years under their belts — and while it hasn’t always been easy, the two are dedicated to one another.
“I say in Hollywood it is like dog years, so you have to multiply that by seven,” Lisa Hoffman told Closer Weekly this past July.
The magazine also asked her about the secret to keeping her marriage intact. Her answer? Hard work.
“We work hard at it. I knew I was going to end up with Dusty, and that my life would be traveling around with him,” Lisa Hoffman told the outlet.
3. She & Hoffman Knew Each Other for Years Before Getting Married
Lisa Hoffman and Dustin Hoffman knew of each other for years as his mother was good friends with her grandmother.
“Dustin was studying to be a classical pianist before he became an actor, and when he was 16 he was the pianist at my parents’ wedding, when my mother was pregnant with me,” Lisa Hoffman told the Daily Mail back in 2007.
Interestingly, the two didn’t actually cross paths — physically — until later on in their lives. They actually met at a family barbecue when Dennis in his late 20s and Lisa was just 10 years old.
“Dustin was telling us jokes, playing the piano and encouraging me to dance around the living room. After we got together, my grandmother reminded me that later that day I had said, ‘I hope he waits for me because I want to marry him,'” she told the Daily Mail.
Twelve years later, Lisa Hoffman made those words come true.
“My grandfather had recently passed away and Dustin came to pay his condolences. That first look and I knew,” she added.
She and Dustin tied the knot in October of 1980.
4. She & Dustin Have 4 Children Together
Lisa and Dustin Hoffman had pretty much agreed on how many children they were going to have, before exchanging vows.
“Dustin asked how many children I wanted. I said six, and he said he had two already, so would four be OK. And that’s exactly the way it has played out,” Lisa told the Daily Mail.
The couple welcomed their son, Jacob Edward, six months after their wedding.
“Jake was a month premature and born critically ill with Hyaline membrane disease [where a baby’s lungs need urgent treatment because they aren’t fully formed], so mothering became my focus,” Lisa Hoffman told the Daily Mail. Jake is now an aspiring director and has done some acting work.
Two years later, Jacob became a big brother, when the Hoffmans welcomed daughter Rebecca into the world. These days, Becky is an artist.
The following year, son Maxwell Geoffrey made them a family of five. Max took after his older brother and his dad and has pursued a career in acting.
And, last but not least, in 1987, the couple’s daughter Alexandra Lydia made them complete. Perhaps following in her mother’s footsteps, Alex obtained a college degree from Brown University in Rhode Island.
Dustin Hoffman was previously married to Anne Byrne and they had a daughter together, Jenna. He also adopted Byrne’s daughter, Karina, from a previous relationship.
5. She Has a Law Degree & Is the Founder of Lisa Hoffman Beauty
Lisa Hoffman graduated from Colorado University with a degree in psychology and went on to study law. Although she was studying for the bar exam when she and Dustin were getting serious, she says that she was determined to to finish her schooling. And that’s exactly what she did. One year after she married her now-husband, she took the exam — and passed.
“I knew that having a law career wouldn’t be possible once I started travelling around with Dustin, but I also knew that I needed to complete this one thing for myself,” she told the Daily Mail.
In 2007, Lisa Hoffman started her own company, Lisa Hoffman Beauty, which specializes in fragrances.
“With a rich background in fragrance—including education in Grasse, France, with the world’s most esteemed perfumers—she has seamlessly assimilated traditional fine fragrance into the lifestyle of the contemporary woman to create a brand that’s unique and wearable. Each scent in Lisa’s diverse fragrance line has been crafted to capture the essence of her favorite destinations from around the world to effortlessly transport women to places filled with beauty and tranquility,” reads part of the “About Lisa Hoffman” section on her company’s website.
A few of her items are available for purchase on QVC.
Over the years, Lisa Hoffman has won several awards for her successful line. In 2007, she was named “Newcomer of the Year” for Women’s Wear Daily. The following year, she was made Redbook Magazine’s Beauty’s Top 40. She earned a spot in Allure Magazine’s Best of Beauty in both 2008 and in 2009, and in 2015, she was named Cosmetic innovator of the year by City Awards.
Lisa Hoffman keeps up with her site’s blog, and posts recipes, stories, and other inspiration throughout the year.