ED SULLIVAN - ED SULLIVAN RAPED STARLET

Legendary American chat show king ED SULLIVAN has been demonised as a rapist in a shocking new book, written by former THE HONEYMOONERS star JANE KEAN.

The actress claims Sullivan, who first brought THE BEATLES to the US, forced himself on her when she was a 17-year-old wannabe, in her memoirs A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE HONEYMOONERS... I HAD A LIFE.

The 79-year-old claims the married chat show king drove her to and from work early in her career and become lusty when he discovered Kean was home alone one evening.

The actress recalls, "I was terribly naive, actually very immature... so I was stunned when Ed gathered that we were alone, suddenly threw me down on the living room couch and began to kiss and smother me.

"There was no preamble - he just jumped on me and began to sexually attack me... I wanted to scream, but I realised I couldn't.

"I knew if I did yell, it would have ruined me right there. In those days, being raped would mark your name too... In all, I didn't know how to stop it or handle it - so I was raped."

Kean admits that after the incident, Sullivan actually pursued her romantically, and he was so "attentive" she actually fell for him, although she couldn't bring herself to sleep with the TV star again.