Sean Baker Responds to Sexual Harassment Allegations Against ‘The Florida Project’ Producer Andrew Duncan
Zack Sharf
Sean Baker says he is “saddened” by the sexual harassment allegations made against June Pictures co-founder Andrew Duncan. Duncan and his company helped produce Baker’s acclaimed “The Florida Project,” which is currently a big contender in this year’s awards season.
Numerous employees at June Pictures say they were harassed by Duncan over the last year. One even alleges Duncan had an employee hire sex workers. The allegations also say that Duncan’s partner at June Pictures, Alex Saks, was aware of the accusations and Duncan’s behavior for over a year and never addressed the issue in an effective way. Duncan has denied the allegations, blaming them on his “rivals.”
In reaction to the allegations, “The Florida Project” director Sean Baker has issued an official statement in which he makes it very clear that he believes that “film sets and work environments absolutely must be safe spaces for everyone regardless of gender, age, race, or creed.” Baker notes that Duncan was only a financier on the movie and that the cast and crew had limited face-to-face experiences with him. Read Baker’s entire statement below:
On behalf of the cast and crew of “The Florida Project,” I am saddened to learn about these allegations against June Pictures’ Andrew Duncan. Mr. Duncan was a financier on our feature, and we are grateful that we were able to fulfill our vision on our own terms, however our personal experiences with him were limited. While we did not witness nor have any knowledge of inappropriate behavior, we are of course deeply concerned about these allegations. I have been outspoken before and firmly believe that film sets and work environments absolutely must be safe spaces for everyone regardless of gender, age, race, or creed.
“The Florida Project” is now playing in theaters.
