LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Rebecca Romijn, known for her role as Mystique in the 'X-Men' film series, recently spoke out about her negative experience of working with director Brett Ratner on 'X-Men: The Last Stand' in 2006. Romijn revealed that she had chosen not to publicly address her #MeToo experiences in the past but now feels relieved that her perpetrators are facing consequences for their alleged actions.
Romijn stated, "I don't want to throw anyone under the bus... Except for Brett Ratner. I was not happy working with him. But he's been canceled. I haven't spoken up about anything with regard to #MeToo, because I had two major issues with two directors I've worked with – and both of them already got theirs, one of them being Brett Ratner. I kind of just... I didn't feel like I needed to say anything. I know the two people that I worked with had it coming, and they got theirs."
'There was drama on set!'
While Romijn acknowledged Ratner's talent as a filmmaker and the impressive work he has produced, she also acknowledged that there were drama and conflicts on the set. "He's a fantastic filmmaker, you know? It was amazing watching him work. And you have to decide if you want to try and separate those two things. I know that the other cast confronted him about things."
"But I was not a part of that. I wasn't there for it, so I can't really speak to it. There was drama on set, and I witnessed it and I heard a lot about it. And he sometimes didn't come in prepared. But he would show up and, without any preparation whatsoever, direct the most awesome scene that he was able to put together because he's such a good filmmaker," she said.
The allegations against Ratner emerged in 2017 when multiple women, including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, came forward with their experiences. These accounts, along with others, revealed a pattern of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior allegedly occurring on and off movie sets. Ratner, however, vehemently denies all of the accusations made against him. However, here are the accounts of each accuser's experience with Ratner.
Natasha Henstridge
Henstridge, known for her roles in 'Species', accused Ratner of sexually assaulting her in the early 1990s. Henstridge, then a 19-year-old fashion model, found herself alone with up-and-coming director Ratner after falling asleep on his couch while watching a movie. Ratner blocked the doorway and proceeded to force himself on her, physically strong-arming her and coercing her into performing 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.” Henstridge found success as an actress, while meanwhile, Ratner rose to become one of Hollywood's most powerful figures, involved in directing, producing, and financing major box-office hits such as 'Rush Hour,' 'X-Men: The Last Stand,' 'The Revenant,' and 'Horrible Bosses.'
Fueled by the wave of sexual misconduct allegations against prominent figures like Harvey Weinstein and James Toback, Henstridge decided it was time to break her silence. She joined five other women in accusing Ratner of sexual harassment and misconduct, which allegedly occurred in private settings, on film sets, and at industry events. While none of the women reported their allegations to the police, Ratner's attorney, Martin Singer, vehemently disputed their claims.
“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 said in a 10-page letter to The Times. “Furthermore, no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from my client." Over the years, 'The Whole Nine Yards' actress frequently encountered Ratner in Hollywood, including at a party where her discomfort became evident to her friend Amy Del Rio. “She saw someone in the crowd and her body language changed,” said Del Rio, an entertainment lawyer. “I asked her if she was OK and she said ‘no.’ Then I saw she was looking at Brett Ratner. I asked if she knew him. She said, ‘He’s not a good guy. I knew him back in the day in New York.’ She was really weird, like, ‘I wanna get out of here.’”
Despite Ratner's acknowledgment of spending time with Henstridge, he disputed her claims, with Singer suggesting she was “upset after learning my client had a girlfriend who he would not leave” for her. However, Henstridge made it clear that she had no interest in dating Ratner and had never been alone with him prior to that night. Henstridge's neighbor, Lilith Berdischewsky, recalled the actress shaking after returning from an audition for the TV drama 'Prison Break', which Ratner executive produced. Henstridge described the discomfort of being in a room with Ratner, who acted as if they were old friends, while she was trying to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she didn't land the part.
Olivia Munn
Munn, an aspiring actress at the time, bravely recounted her disturbing encounter with director Ratner on the set of 'After the Sunset' in 2004. She said she entered his trailer to deliver a meal, only to be confronted by the shocking sight of Ratner masturbating. Munn initially shared this harrowing experience in her book without revealing Ratner's identity.
However, a year later, Ratner boldly came forward during a television show, identifying himself as the director and falsely claiming that he had engaged in a sexual relationship with Munn. To make matters worse, he later boasted at a party about ejaculating on magazine covers featuring Munn's image, perpetuating harmful rumors. Fed up with the persistent false rumors and determined to support other courageous women speaking out, Munn decided to break her silence and share her story.
“I’ve made specific, conscientious choices not to work with Brett Ratner,” Munn said. “It feels as if I keep going up against the same bully at school who just won’t quit,” she said. “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.” Ratner's attorney, Martin Singer, "vehemently" denied Munn's allegations, adding to the contentious nature of their confrontation.
Jaime Ray Newman
Actress Jaime Ray Newman recounted a disturbing encounter she had with Ratner in 2005 during a first-class flight on Air Canada. According to Newman, Ratner switched seats with his assistant to be seated next to her. Excited to converse with a renowned director who was set to helm 'X-Men: The Last Stand,' Newman quickly found herself in an unsettling situation.
Within just five minutes of the plane taking off, Ratner allegedly began openly discussing explicit sexual acts he desired to perform on Newman. He went into graphic detail about his addiction to oral sex while showing her nude photos of his then-girlfriend. “He was graphically describing giving me oral sex and how he was addicted to it,” she said. Feeling shaken by the encounter, Newman immediately confided in a few individuals about the incident. However, Ratner, through his attorney, vehemently denied the occurrence of this encounter and dismissed it as a "ridiculous claim."
Katharine Towne
Katharine Towne, known for her role in 'What Lies Beneath,' has recounted a distressing encounter with Ratner. Towne met Ratner at a party in Los Angeles around 2005, hosted at a movie star's residence. What began as an uncomfortable interaction soon turned into an aggressive come-on by Ratner, making his intentions clear: he wanted to sleep with Towne.
“He started to come on to me in a way that was so extreme,” said Towne, 39. As Towne tried to excuse herself from the situation, Ratner persisted and followed her into a bathroom, a move she found alarming and invasive. “I think it’s pretty aggressive to go in the bathroom with someone you don’t know and close the door,” Towne said.
She said she was nervous, and tried to make a joke about her weight, “I don’t even know what you want with me. I’m kind of chubby right now.” He was undeterred. “I like ’em chubby sometimes,” she said Ratner replied.
Hoping to appease him, Towne reluctantly gave Ratner her phone number. However, Ratner's assistant repeatedly called her over the next six months, futilely attempting to arrange a dinner between Towne and the filmmaker. Ratner’s attorney Singer called Towne’s account “absurd.” “Even if hypothetically this incident occurred exactly as claimed, how is flirting at a party, complimenting a woman on her appearance, and calling her to ask her for a date wrongful conduct?” Singer said.
Eri Sasaki
Eri Sasaki, a former part-time model, and aspiring singer at the age of 21, has come forward with her unsettling encounter involving Ratner. While working as an extra on a film set, Sasaki was required to wear a revealing outfit that exposed her midriff. During a period of waiting before filming, Ratner approached her and ran his index finger down her exposed stomach.
In an inappropriate proposition, he asked if she would accompany him to a bathroom. When she declined, Ratner responded with a manipulative statement, asking, "Don't you want to be famous?" This uncomfortable interaction did not end there. A day or two later, Ratner once again approached Sasaki and made the same proposition, suggesting that she could become a movie star. As an enticement, he offered her a line of dialogue in the film. Despite the potential opportunity, Sasaki firmly refused.
Jorina King
Jorina King, a background actress who worked on one of his films, has shared her disturbing experience involving Ratner. On the first day of shooting, Ratner singled her out from a group of female extras and expressed his intention to discuss offering her a speaking role. The following day, he summoned her to his trailer and requested to see her breasts, according to King. She adamantly rejected his demand and sought refuge in a restroom, hoping to avoid further interaction.
“I figured if I could stay out of his eyesight, if I could stay away from him, he will forget about me and he will choose someone else, and that is exactly what happened,” King said, adding that she feared him and losing the work. Kent Richards, a production assistant on the set of 'Rush Hour 2' recalled conversations with both King and Sasaki, another background actress, about their encounters with Ratner. Richards also mentioned that two or three other background actresses had complained to him, alleging that Ratner had asked them to expose their breasts or touch his genitals. Ratner's attorney, Singer, disputed Richards' account, dismissing it as a "secondhand story about unnamed individuals."
David Anthony, whose company managed extras casting for the film's shoot, confirmed that three background actresses informed him that Ratner had asked them out on "dates." Anthony, while acknowledging that men often make advances towards women on set, stated that Ratner's behavior went beyond what he had encountered before. King echoed this sentiment, describing Ratner as feeling entitled and considering his actions to be normal business behavior.
Singer, on the other hand, dismissed King's claims as "absurd" and "nonsensical," arguing that discussing a speaking role in the midst of a film shoot was preposterous. Singer provided a statement from James M Freitag, an assistant director on the set, who claimed that "no complaints" including those of sexual harassment, were reported to him during the filming of 'Rush Hour 2' reported Los Angeles Times.
Melanie Kohle
Ratner faced rape accusation from Melanie Kohler, a resident of Hawaii, which led to Ratner initiating a defamation case against her when she went public with her allegations. Ratner's legal representatives stated that "Mr Ratner does not know Ms Kohler and does not recall ever meeting her. From the beginning, Mr Ratner has denied Ms Kohler’s allegations of sexual assault. In fact, after Ms Kohler published her allegations in the media, Mr Ratner sued her for defamation in federal court in Hawaii, where she resides. That lawsuit is still pending."
Numerous other allegations have been made against Ratner, including claims of harassment, inappropriate touching, and forced oral sex. Ratner has categorically denied all of these accusations. "Brett Ratner vehemently denies the outrageous derogatory allegations that have been reported about him, and we are confident that his name will be cleared once the current media frenzy dies down and people can objectively evaluate the nature of these claims," his attorney said.
