You may not be familiar with the name Brett Ratner, but if you’re a movie fan, you’ve almost certainly encountered his work.
In addition to directing the popular Rush Hour series and X-Men: The Last Stand, Ratner has produced more than 70 film and television titles as head of RatPac-Dune Productions, including The Revenant, Prison Break, and Horrible Bosses.
In other words, he’s nearly as successful as Harvey Weinstein–and it sadly, it seems the similarities between the two moguls don’t end there.
This morning, the LA Times published a scathing report in which six women–including prominent actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge–accuse Ratner of sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to rape.
Henstridge recounts an incident in the early 1990s, in which Ratner reportedly forced her to perform oral sex.
“He strong-armed me in a real way. He physically forced himself on me,” she said. “At some point, I gave in and he did his thing,” she tells the newspaper.
Munn recounts a number of appalling incidents involving Ratner, including one that she first revealed several years ago.
In her 2010 memoir, Munn recalled an incident in which Ratner masturbated in front of her on a film set.
He then falsely claimed to have had sex with Munn and told the actress that he’s ejaculated on magazine covers with her photo.
“I’ve made specific, conscientious choices not to work with Brett Ratner,” Munn tells the Times.
“It feels as if I keep going up against the same bully at school who just won’t quit,” she adds.
“You just hope that enough people believe the truth and for enough time to pass so that you can’t be connected to him anymore.”
Actress Asia Argento, who alleges she was raped by Harvey Weinstein has tweeted about the connections between Ratner and the founder of the Weinstein Company:
“Weinstein himself crowned you king of the pigs, @BrettRatner. Looking forward to hear your lame excuses/apologies for your hideous crimes,” she wrote this morning.
Marty Singer, an attorney for Ratner, penned a letter to the Times, in which he states that his client “categorically” disputes the allegations against him.
“I have represented Mr. Ratner for two decades, and no woman has ever made a claim against him for sexual misconduct or sexual harassment,” Singer writes.
“Furthermore, no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from my client.”
Ratner has not yet responded to the allegations personally.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.
