Despite an explosive expose in The Hollywood Reporter (THR) alleging decades of physical and mental abuse, a Harvey Weinstein-level reckoning does not appear to be on the horizon for producer Scott Rudin.
As noted Monday by The Associated Press, the vast majority of the Hollywood industry, most especially the A-list talent he courted, has remained silent in the wake of the bombshell report.
“If Hollywood has taken steps to reform following a #MeToo upheaval that began with sexual abuse allegations against another much-rewarded New York uber-producer, Harvey Weinstein, the initial response to The Hollywood Reporter’s story on Rudin suggests the industry is less eager to curb cultures of verbal abuse and workplace toxicity,” the AP reported.
“No studio that has regularly done business with Rudin has commented on the article, nor have any of the A-list names that Rudin has helped propel to more than 150 Oscar nominations and 17 Tonys,” it continued. “On Thursday, his latest film — the anticipated Netflix adaptation of ‘The Woman in the Window’— went forward with a virtual trailer release attended by the film’s starry cast, including Amy Adams, Anthony Mackie, Julianne Moore and Wyatt Russell. Rudin, himself, hasn’t responded to the article or the AP’s request for comment.”
Neither Aaron Sorkin, Wes Anderson, the Coen Brothers, nor Paul Thomas Anderson – all of whom collaborated with Rudin on several projects – have issued a statement denouncing his behavior. On Monday, the Leaders of SAG-AFTRA, Actors’ Equity Association and American Federation of Musicians Local 802 issued a general statement denouncing toxic workplace behavior and office bullying; the statement did not mention Scott Rudin by name.
Thus far, the biggest name in the industry to publicly rebuke Rudin is Annapurna co-founder Megan Ellison. In a tweet last Wednesday, Ellison alleged that Rudin engaged in sexist and racist behavior beyond the allegations of physical and mental abuse detailed in the THR article.
“This piece barely scratches the surface of Scott Rudin’s abusive, racist, and sexist behavior. Similarly to Harvey, too many are afraid to speak out. I support and applaud those who did. There’s good reason to be afraid because he’s vindictive and has no qualms about lying,” she tweeted.
Later, Ellison retweeted a post from the brother of one of Rudin’s former assistants, who allegedly suffered both physical and mental abuse at the hands of Rudin. The assistant later committed suicide, though it is not known whether his death is in any way connected to the accusations.
“The article was a challenging read because Kevin worked for Scott Rudin as his executive assistant in 2008 and 2009, and suffered much of the same abuse described in this article,” the tweet read. “I don’t believe that the abuse Scott Rudin’s [sic] inflicted on my brother alone caused Kevin to kill himself – but I think Rudin’s abuse was undeniably a factor in the mental health issues Kevin suffered in the final years of his life.”
“Kevin developed a severe anxiety disorder in his time working for Rudin, and saw therapists on and off for the remainder of his life,” the tweet thread later added.
In a lengthy expose for THR, several of Rudin’s former staffers alleged that the producer, who already had a reputation for being hot-tempered, would regularly engage in verbally and physically abusive behavior in the office. One particularly nasty incident involved him allegedly smashing an Apple computer over an assistant’s hand, sending him to the emergency room.
RELATED: Top Hollywood Producer Megan Ellison Accuses Scott Rudin Of Abusive, Racist, Sexist Behavior