NEW YORK • In November 2014, married actors Jason Bateman and Amanda Anka attended a dinner party at the Chiltern Firehouse after the London premiere of Horrible Bosses 2, in which Bateman starred.

The Chiltern, an 1889 fire station turned luxury hotel, is owned by Andre Balazs, who built a hospitality empire with his boutique chain the Standard and Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood. The movie's other starswere also there.

Balazs took the group on a tour, leading them to a room with a view of London accessible by a firehouse-style ladder. Anka was wearing a dress and hesitant to climb the ladder, according to witnesses. But Balazs insisted. As she navigated the steps, these people said, he slipped a hand under her skirt and grabbed her crotch. She told the group what Balazs had done. Downstairs, Bateman confronted the hotel owner, spitting gum in his face. The couple hastily left the hotel.

Last week, the couple confirmed the incident in a statement released by their publicist.

In recent weeks, several women have come forward accusing Balazs, 60, of groping them.

NYTIMES