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Stan Lee, Accused Of Assault, Faced Civil Lawsuit Filed By Chicago Massage Therapist

CHICAGO (CBS) --  Comic book icon Stan Lee, who died Monday, was the target of a civil lawsuit in Chicago, accused of a lewd assault.

The former Marvel Comics editor in chief visited Chicago in 2017, for what was billed as his final appearance in the Windy City.

In April,  a massage therapist filed a lawsuit against Lee, accusing him of fondling himself and touching her inappropriately while staying at a hotel during that visit.

"Things got out of hand. She felt uncomfortable with the things that Mr. Lee was doing," said Aasim Cunningham, an attorney for the therapist, Maria Carbello.

The lawsuit, filed against Lee under his legal name, Stanley Lieber, seeks more than $50,000 in damages.

Lee, was at McCormick Place in April 2017 for C2E2, an annual comics convention, and called for a massage therapist while he was staying at the nearby Hyatt Regency hotel.

According to the lawsuit, as Carballo was giving Lee a massage, Lee began to fondle himself, so she cut the session short. She was called back the next day, and given assurances the inappropriate behavior would not continue.

However, she alleges Lee then grabbed her foot, and moved it against his genitals.

A representative for Lee did not respond to requests for comment. According to published reports, his attorneys have denied the allegations and said the lawsuit could be a "shakedown" attempt on a prominent celebrity.

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