Warner Bros. has severed ties with Hollywood producer, Brett Ratner
after six women accused him of sexual assaut and sexual harassment, a
studio source said.
Top brass at the studio spent the day reviewing the allegations that
Ratner had masturbated in front of actresses and forced one actress to
perform oral sex on him. Though Ratner’s attorney has adamantly denied
the charges on his behalf, the studio chose not to renew its production
deal with Ratner and will be removing him as producer from the upcoming
film “The Goldfinch,” which is an adaption of the best-selling Donna
Tartt novel.
In a statement, Ratner said it was his choice to part ways with Warner Bros.
He said in the statement: “In light of the allegations being made, I
am choosing to personally step away from all Warner Bros.-related
activities. I don’t want to have any possible negative impact to the
studio until these personal issues are resolved.”
Ratner’s first-look deal with the studio had already expired, but
will not be renewed. Ratner will also lose his office space on the
Warners lot in Burbank, California, which will revert to the studio’s
control.
In 2013, Warner Bros. signed a $450-million co-financing deal with
RatPac Entertainment, of which Ratner is CEO. That deal expires in March
2018, and there are five more films that RatPac helped finance, which
will still be released. No decision has been made on whether or not the
pact will be renewed. A lot will depend on what AT&T, which is
closing a deal to buy Warner Bros.’ parent company Time Warner, wants to
do in terms of film financing. It will also likely depend on whether or
not RatPac investor Len Blavatnik severs ties with Ratner, Variety
reports.
In the L.A. Times’ story, actress Natasha Henstridge said that Ratner
masturbated in front of her and then forced her to perform oral sex at
his home in the early 1990s. Actress Olivia Munn also alleged that
Ratner had masturbated in front of her in his trailer on the set of
“After the Sunset”. Melanie Kohler, also claimed on Facebook that Ratner
had raped her in the mid-2000s, an allegation Ratner denies and has led
to him filing a defamaion suit.