Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has strongly denied sexual abuse allegations brought against him by his sister, Ann Altman, in a lawsuit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The lawsuit claims Altman abused her from 1997 to 2006 at their family home in Clayton, Missouri, starting when Ann was three years old and Sam was twelve. Ann, who now goes by Annie, alleges the abuse caused her “severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression,” which persist to this day.

The lawsuit, Annie’s first legal action against her brother despite making similar claims publicly on platforms like X, seeks a jury trial and damages exceeding $75,000. Her attorney, Ryan Mahoney, specializes in sexual assault and harassment cases.

In a joint statement with their mother and two brothers, Altman denied the allegations, calling them “entirely untrue.” The family attributed the claims to Annie’s mental health struggles, stating, “This situation causes immense pain to our entire family.” They emphasized their past attempts to support Annie, asserting that she refuses conventional treatment and has “lashed out at family members who are genuinely trying to help.”

The lawsuit adds to Altman’s growing legal challenges. In March, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman, alleging breach of contract and fiduciary duty. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, left the organization in 2018 and has since launched the competing AI firm xAI. The dispute centers on OpenAI’s transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity, a move Musk claims violates the company’s original mission.

Altman’s prominence skyrocketed after OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT in 2022, which propelled the organization to a $157 billion valuation with investments from Microsoft, Nvidia, and SoftBank. Despite his brief ousting as CEO in late 2023, Altman was reinstated following pressure from employees and investors.

Annie Altman’s lawsuit is expected to draw significant public attention, further complicating a year of legal and professional challenges for Altman as he continues to lead one of the world’s most influential AI companies.