Producer Scott Rudin has apologised for his past poor behaviour after he was exposed as a bad tempered bully in a new expose.
The mogul is taking a step back from the film and theatre industry to take stock of his life after he was hit with multiple allegations of workplace bullying.
"After a period of reflection, I've made the decision to step back from active participation on our Broadway productions, effective immediately," he said in a statement, proclaiming: "My roles will be filled by others from the Broadway community and in a number of cases, from the roster of participants already in place on those shows."
The news comes a week after accusers told The Hollywood Reporter Rudin threw glass bowls, a stapler and a baked potato at former employees while smashing one assistant's hand with a computer.
"Much has been written about my history of troubling interactions with colleagues, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior caused to individuals, directly and indirectly," Rudin, whose hit film productions include The Social Network and No Country for Old Men, added.
"I am now taking steps that I should have taken years ago to address this behaviour," he shared.
Actors' Equity Association officials have also urged Rudin to release employees from nondisclosure agreements in an effort to create "truly safe and harassment-free theatrical workspaces on Broadway and beyond", according to Deadline.
"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," a statement by AEA president Kate Shindle and executive director Mary McColl reads.
Meanwhile, at the end of last week, Tony Award-winning Moulin Rouge! star Karen Olivo announced she would not be returning to the Broadway show when it re-opened after the COVID pandemic to protest what she called the industry's silence regarding Rudin.
"I could easily go back to the show and make a lot of money, but I still wouldn't be able to control what I was putting out into the world," Olivo wrote on Instagram.
"And what I'm seeing in this space right now, with our industry, is that everybody is scared, and nobody is really doing a lot of the stuff that needs to be done. People aren't speaking out," she observed.
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