'He's a great actor': Marlee Matlin reacts to death of William Hurt, whom she accused of abuse

Washington [US], March 15 (ANI): The demise of veteran actor William Hurt has left several people saddened -- including his ex-partner Marlee Matlin who had previously accused him of brutally raping her.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Matlin reflected on William's death saying " he's a great actor," Variety reported.
"You're the first person to ask me about him. We've lost a really great actor and working with him on set in 'Children of a Lesser God' will always be something I remember very fondly. He taught me a great deal as an actor and he was one-of-a-kind," she told the outlet.
William died on Sunday following a battle with prostate cancer. He was 71. He had starred opposite Matlin in the 1986 drama 'Children of a Lesser God', which won Matlin the Oscar for best actress. The two performers began dating when Matlin was 19 years old and William was 35.

Several years after their split, the actress alleged in her 2009 memoir, 'I'll Scream Later' that she was subjected to persistent abuse throughout their relationship. (ANI)