Scott Rudin Will Step Back from Broadway Amid Abuse Accusations
Update: Since Rudin’s Saturday announcement, the Actors’ Equity Association has called upon the Broadway producer to release employees from their nondisclosure agreements.
“Since news reports emerged about Scott Rudin, we have had many private conversations with our sibling unions and the Broadway League,” the association said in a statement. “We have heard from hundreds of members that these allegations are inexcusable, and everyone deserves a safe workplace whether they are a union member or not.
“We salute the courage of those who came forward. We hope that Scott Rudin will also release his staff from any nondisclosure agreements they may have signed as a condition of employment,” the statement read. “This is an important step in creating truly safe and harassment-free theatrical workplaces on Broadway and beyond. It is not the end of our work to ensure a workplace safe for everyone in the industry as we work toward reopening.”
Earlier: In the wake of a Hollywood Reporter exposé detailing mega producer Scott Rudin’s alleged long history of toxic bullying and abuse in the workplace, the Academy Award-winning film, television, and stage producer said he will step aside from Broadway producing duties. Apologizing “for the pain [his] behavior caused” his colleagues, Rudin told The Washington Post on Saturday that he made the decision in an effort to take the “steps that I should have taken years ago to address this behavior.”
Rudin, the producer of Broadway hits including “The Book of Mormon” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” as well as Oscar-winning films like “No Country for Old Men” and “The Social Network,” was accused in The Hollywood Reporter by former colleagues of “acts of intimidation” spanning decades.
On the film side, he’s credited as a producer on upcoming films including Joe Wright’s “The Woman in the Window” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” as well as a slew of announced upcoming projects.
The film and Broadway communities have called for a reckoning over Rudin’s behavior since the THR story dropped last week. Tony-winning actress Karen Olivo said in an Instagram video that she would not be returning to the production of the musical “Moulin Rouge!” after the shutdown lifts because of the “silence” surrounding Rudin. “Building a better industry is more important than putting money in my pocket,” she said. “People are more important than your pocketbook. That’s it.”
Annapurna founder and producer Megan Ellison also publicly slammed Rudin on social media, saying “This [THR] piece barely scratches the surface of Scott Rudin’s abusive, racist, and sexist behavior. Similarly to Harvey [Weinstein], 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.”
In the exposé published by The Hollywood Reporter, several former Rudin staffers went on record with stories detailing alleged abuse they endured at the hands of the titan producer. Stories include Rudin allegedly smashing a computer on an assistant’s hand and cutting the assistant and Rudin reportedly throwing objects such as a baked potato at staffers.
Rudin has won Tony Awards for plays including “Hello, Dolly!,” “The Humans,” “A View from the Bridge,” “Fences,” and “Passion.”
