Celeb Reactions To The Brett Ratner Allegations
In an issue that has sadly become exhaustingly familiar, another powerful man in Hollywood has been exposed by allegations of sexual harassment, misconduct and rape. This time, that man is Rush Hour franchise and X-Men: The Last Stand helmsman Brett Ratner.
On Nov. 1, 2017, the Los Angeles Times published an article that sent more shock waves through the entertainment industry. In the article, six women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, shared graphic accounts about their alleged experiences with the Oscar-winning producer. In response to their allegations, plenty of celebrities had something to say about yet another alleged predator in their midst.
Natasha Henstridge
Days after The New York Times published their exposé on Harvey Weinstein paying off his accusers for decades, former fashion model and Species star Natasha Henstridge tweeted: "@nytimes #HarveyWeinsten is not the only major hollywood predator out there, that's for sure, I know first hand."
About two weeks later, Henstridge decided to let the world know who she was talking about.
Ellen Barkin
On Oct. 29, 2017, Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot was scheduled to present the Tree of Life Award to Ratner at a Hollywood dinner for the Jewish National Fund, but according to Variety, she unexpectedly dropped out at the last minute citing a "scheduling conflict."
Actress Ellen Barkin wasn't buying it. "Gal Gadot dropped out of giving the Tree Of Life award to Brett Ratner 24 hrs before the event due to a scheduling conflict...," the Emmy and Tony-Award winner tweeted. "Wanna bet?"
Patty Jenkins
Wonder Woman Director Patty Jenkins filled in for Gadot at the Jewish National Fund award ceremony. she called Ratner a lesson in "true altruism and generosity" at the event, but expressed disgust a mere three day later.
"I am extremely distressed to read these terrible allegations against Brett Ratner. When I spoke of Brett, I spoke of my own experiences with him, which were not these at all. I have never witnessed nor been aware of anything that is now being described," the record-breaking female director tweeted. "To be very clear, I am definitely not okay with this kind of behavior. Sexual harassment and assault are NEVER okay and I stand with and defend all of the men and women who are revealing these horrific encounters all over this industry and the world. I hope their disclosures bring about real change for all of us, and I am deeply grateful to them for their bravery."
Jessica Chastain
Chosen as one of People magazine's 25 Women Changing the World, actress Jessica Chastain has been on an outspoken crusade fighting for women's rights and championing equality and diversity in Hollywood. Her summation of the allegations facing Ratner? Succinct. "YEP," the two-time Oscar-nominated actress stated on Twitter.
Amber Tamblyn
Having already told her own story in September 2017 about actor James Woods allegedly making sexual advance towards her when she was 16 (via Teen Vogue), actress and director Amber Tamblyn retweeted a Ratner article along with a stunning confession and a message of solidarity. "I know a woman who was too scared to go on record for this story," she tweeted. "I stand with them all. This is not easy to do."
James Gunn
Having already expressed regret in a lengthy Facebook post for not having the ability to do more for the alleged victims of disgraced director James Toback, producer James Gunn took to Twitter to throw his support behind Ratner's accusers: "[Heart emoticon] to those who came forward," the Guardians of the Galaxy visionary tweeted. "[Vomit face emoticon] to Brett Ratner."
Alyssa Milano
On Oct. 15, 2017, at the behest of a friend, actress Alyssa Milano started the #MeToo hashtag on Twitter to encourage survivors of sexual assault to share their stories and shine a spotlight on how widespread the problem is, regardless of profession. Retweeting the Los Angeles Times article, she made a statement about Ratner by simply stating, "#MeToo."
Judd Apatow
One cursory scroll through writer/director Judd Apatow's Twitter feed, and you'll quickly see that he uses that platform to rail against inequality, injustice, and violence against women in all forms. It's no wonder then that Apatow is so well-versed in the tactics that are so rampant in the industry he calls home. "He hired Cosby's lawyer Martin Singer so at least he found representation that's comfortable calling victims of sexual abuse liars," the Knocked Up director tweeted. "Shame."
Busy Philipps
Busy Philipps, star of Apatow's Freaks and Geeks and winner of the Critics' Choice Television Award for best supporting actress in a comedy series for her role in Cougar Town, didn't pull any punches with her assessment of Ratner.
"Brett Ratner has a 450 MILLION dollar deal at WB?" she asked on Twitter. "A man [whose] reputation is that of a lecherous creep AT BEST. Plus, he makes sh*tty movies." She continued: "Before you say,"BUT BUSY, you've BEEN in sh*tty movies!" MAYBE I HAVE. But I'm not jacking off on girls and making millions in the process."
In another tweet she called him "a garbage human."
Rose McGowan
Actress Rose McGowan was named in The New York Times article as one of the women who accepted a settlement from disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, and she has since become the unofficial and very vocal leader of sexual assault victims in Hollywood. McGowan has made it her mission to expose as many Hollywood sexual predators as possible, and she's not sugarcoating her feelings.
"Brett Ratner has been a slime bag for years," she told the Los Angeles Times. Her Twitter storm continued with a personal shot at Ratner: "Brett, do yourself a favor, stop attacking. We see you. Men like you cannot go back into their happy piggy bubble. It's over. #ROSEARMY."
Anthony Bourdain
If you've seen any episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations or Parts Unknown, you know the author and influential chef hates mincing words as much as he hates pumpkin spice everything. The same rules apply to his Twitter account. "Watching sebaceous bag of farts @BrettRatner called out gives me a warm, satisfying feeling," he tweeted.
Asia Argento
In the The New Yorker bombshell piece about Weinstein, actress and singer Asia Argento claimed Weinstein sexually assaulted her in the '90s. Immediately following her allegations, the daughter of legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento had to flee her beloved Italy for Germany due to the amount of press claiming she was simply engaged in "high-society prostitution," reported The Telegraph.
Despite that turmoil, Asia shared her thoughts on the Ratner accusations. "This article is what we've all been waiting for @BrettRatner–you've been f**king busted," she tweeted. The xXx star added, "Weinstein himself crowned you king of the pigs, @BrettRatner, Looking forward to hear your lame excuses/apologies for your hideous crimes.
Matt Oswalt
Comedian Patton Oswalt's brother, writer Matt Oswalt, apparently learned all he needed to know about The Family Man director at a soiree. "I was at a party once and saw Brett Ratner across the room for about 2 seconds," he tweeted. "I ABSOLUTELY believe all the women coming forward."
Pete Johansson
Canadian comedian and actor Pete Johansson knew Ratner's time would eventually come. "Called this as soon as they went after Weinstein," he proclaimed on Twitter. "This legendary d**khead would go down too."
What's next for Ratner?
The fallout has been swift and surgical. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros., the studio that has partnered with Ratner since 2013, has cut ties with the director. In a statement (via Variety), Ratner suggested the decision was his. "In light of the allegations being made, I am choosing to personally step away from all Warner Bros.-related activities," he said. "I don't want to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved."
The Hugh Hefner biopic, which was to be Ratner's next project, is now dead in the water. "We are deeply troubled to learn about the accusations against Brett Ratner. We find this kind of behavior completely unacceptable. We are putting all further development of our projects with RatPac Entertainment on hold until we are able to review the situation further," Playboy said in a statement (via Variety).
A month before the allegations came to light, Ratner told The Hollywood Reporter that Oscar-winner Jared Leto would play Hefner in the film, but Leto has denied any such thing. The actor's rep had this to say (via People): "Jared Leto is not and was not attached to a Brett Ratner directed Hugh Hefner film, nor will he be working with him in the future."
According to the Los Angeles Times, Ratner has already filed a defamation lawsuit in federal court in Hawaii against a woman who "claimed he raped her about 12 years ago" in a since-deleted Facebook post. "Melanie Kohler, a former marketing executive who now co-owns a scuba shop with her husband in Hawaii," reportedly posted, "Brett Ratner raped me," on Facebook, claiming he "preyed on me as a drunk girl [and] forced himself upon me." Soon after Kohler made her claim, "Ratner's lawyer, Martin Singer, called Kohler on her cellphone, questioned her about the account and threatened that Ratner would sue her for defamation," reported the Los Angeles Times.
As this story continues to develop, stay tuned to Nicki Swift for all the updates.