Former “Mythbusters” co-host Adam Savage allegedly sexually abused his younger sister for years while calling himself the “raping blob” during the late 1970s, the woman says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Miranda Pacchiana, 51, claims the abuse happened when she was between 7 and 10 years old when the siblings lived in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
“Beginning in or about 1976 and continuing until approximately 1979, Adam Savage, would repeatedly rape Miranda Pacchiana and force oral sex upon her, and forced Miranda to perform oral sex on him, along with other forms of sexual abuse,” says her lawsuit, filed in Westchester Supreme Court.
The suit says Savage, who was between 9 and 12 years old at the time, would prevent Pacchiana from leaving the bed and anally rape her.
He allegedly nicknamed himself the “raping blob” while masking the abuse as a game, according to the complaint.
The 52-year-old special effects whiz is best known as the former co-host of “Mythbusters,” a Discovery Channel series that tests the validity of popular myths and legends.
Pacchiana, of Newtown, Conn., is a social worker who blogged about losing her family after coming forward about the alleged sexual abuse.
“When I first disclosed to my family that my brother had abused me as a child, I thought my whole world would change,” she wrote. “I assumed my family members would share my desire to examine what had gone wrong in our home and pursue a path toward healing together. I was sadly mistaken.”
“In fact, their behaviors left me feeling as though the abuse didn’t really matter,” she continued. “Yes, they believed me — but my family members still seemed determined to brush my trauma under the rug. Over time, I came to realize they viewed me as the problem for focusing on the abuse. Not the brother who had abused me.”
Pacchiana filed her lawsuit under the New York Child Victims Act, which opened a one-year look-back period for victims to bring claims that had already exceeded the statute of limitations. In May, the original deadline, which was set in August, was extended by five months due to coronavirus.
“The prolific abuse by Mr. Savage as alleged in the Complaint has caused irreparable damage to my client that she will live with for the rest of her life,” Pacchiana’s lawyer Jordan Merson said in a statement. “Today is the first step in the direction of healing and justice.”
Savage denied his sister’s allegations in a statement through his lawyer Andrew Brettler.
“While I hope that my sister gets the help she needs to find peace, this needs to end. For many years, she has relentlessly and falsely attacked me and other members of my family to anyone who will listen,” Savage said. “By spreading numerous untrue stories about us in pursuit of a financial bonanza, she has tortured our entire family and estranged herself from all of us. I will fight this groundless and offensive lawsuit and work to put this to rest once and for all.”
The siblings’ mother, Karen Savage, came to Adam’s defense Tuesday.
“It makes me very sad to say this, but my daughter suffers from severe mental health challenges, and it’s devastating that she’s putting Adam and our entire family through this. Adam is a good man, and I support him completely.”
Merson described Karen’s comments as a “possible HIPAA violation.”
“The source of any mental health issues is clear and we appreciate defendant’s mother for confirming the significant damages in this case,” he said. “Although her mother apparently does not, we proudly support Ms. Pacchiana and all child sex abuse survivors who come forward.”