James Gunn blasts fellow director James Toback in scathing Facebook post

Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn says he has long been aware of director James Toback's alleged sexual aggression towards women and has tried to warn people about it for more than 20 years.

Gunn took to Facebook Sunday to explain how he knows several women personally and has communicated with many more online who say they have been victims of Toback's bad behavior.

The post came hours after The Los Angeles Times published a story, citing 38 women who say Toback spoke to them in sexually explicit language, attempted to trade sexual favors for career opportunities, rubbed his genitals on them or masturbated in front of them without their encouragement or consent. Toback has denied the allegations to The Times, but has not spoken publicly about the matter to any other media outlets.

"Honestly, if the stories were just about some crazed sex addict who approaches thousands of women on the street trying to get laid, I wouldn't be posting this now," Gunn wrote in his Facebook message. "I don't want to be attacking every Hollywood douchebag who hits on countless women. That type of behavior isn't cool, but I think it's important to separate douchebaggery from any kind of sexual coercion. But the women I talked to who DID go someplace private with Toback, told stories that were worse than the women only accosted on the street. It's important to say, I don't have any firsthand information about any of this. But the stories are so eerily similar, and I've heard them again and again from some of the people I trust most in the world, I know the chances of them being untrue... well, it would just be impossible. I knew it was their choice whether or not they wanted to come forward publicly, but I let them know I would have their backs if they did."