Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot has reportedly refused to sign the superhero sequel until Brett Ratner, who has been accused of sexual harassment, is out of the franchise.
According to a report in Page Six, Gadot also refused to attend a dinner honouring Ratner as a response to the sexual allegations levelled against him.
“Brett made a lot of money from the success of ‘Wonder Woman,’ thanks to his company having helped finance the first movie. Now, Gadot is saying she won’t sign for the sequel unless Warner Bros. buys Brett out and gets rid of him. She’s tough and stands by her principles. She also knows the best way to hit people like Brett Ratner is in the wallet. She also knows that Warner Bros has to side with her on this issue as it develops. They can’t have a movie rooted in women’s empowerment being part-financed by a man accused of sexual misconduct against women”.Warner Bros. insider to Page Six
The source added,
“She’s tough and stands by her principles. She also knows the best way to hit people like Brett Ratner is in the wallet. She also knows that Warner Bros. has to side with her on this issue as it develops. They can’t have a movie rooted in women’s empowerment being part-financed by a man accused of sexual misconduct against women.”
Representatives of Gadot and Ratner have yet to confirm the news. Ratner’s lawyers have denied the news while a representative of Warner Bros has only said, “False.”
Actor Ellen Page, in a Facebook post has accused Brett Ratner, the director of X:Men: The Last Stand of sexual harassment. Ellen, who was 18 years at the time said that Brett outed her as gay in front of the cast and crew. “I knew I was gay, but did not know, so to speak. I felt violated when this happened. I looked down at my feet, didn’t say a word and watched as no one else did either,” she wrote.
Several other actors including Olivia Munn, Natasha Henstridge have also accused Ratner of sexual harassment.
Ratner has produced, directed or financed many well-known films and TV series, including X-Men: The Last Stand, Rush Hour, Prison Break, The Revenant among others.
After the Harvey Weinstein scandal, comedian Louis CK has also been fired from The Secret Life of Pets 2 following the his admission of sexual misconduct. In a New York Times report, five women accused Louis of sexual harassment which swiftly led to Netflix, HBO, FX and other studios, cable networks distancing themselves from the comedian.
(Source: Page Six, The New York Times)
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