A half dozen women, including some well-known actresses, have accused Hollywood director Brett Ratner of sexual harassment or misconduct.
The Los Angeles Timesquotes several accusers, including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, who say Ratner engaged in a wide range of inappropriate activities in private homes, on movie sets, and at industry events. Ratner is the director of many box office blockbusters including Rush Hour, Horrible Bosses, and X-Men: The Last Stand. Through his attorney, he disputed the charges to the LATimes.
Ratner’s company did not respond to Coins2Day’s request for comment in time for publication; we will update this story with any response.
Munn told the LA Times that Ratner masturbated in front of her when she visited a set in 2004 and made inappropriate statements at a party thrown by Creative Artists Agency that same year. Henstridge says he forced her to perform oral sex on him after she fell asleep at a party at the director’s house in the 1990s.
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Ratner’s attorney Martin Singer “categorically” denied the accusations to the Times, saying, “I have represented Mr. Ratner for two decades, and no woman has ever made a claim against him for sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. Furthermore, no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from my client.”
Ratner is one of Hollywood’s most successful directors. His films have grossed more than $2 billion at the global box office, according to IMDB. He helped form the film financing firm RatPac-Dune Entertainment in 2013 (with now Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as a partner—Mnuchin sold his stake in the company earlier this year). And just last month, he announced he was working on a fourth installment in the Rush Hour series.
This is not the first time Ratner has been involved in a scandal, though. In 2011, he made a homophobic comment at a screening for the film Tower Heist and was forced to resign from producing the 2012 Academy Awards. And, the Times notes, he has frequently bragged about his sexual prowess.
The accusations against Ratner come on the heels of several other sexual harassment claims in Hollywood following the litany of people who have spoken out against one-time Hollywood power producer Harvey Weinstein.