Hollywood Producer Scott Rudin ‘Stepping Back’ from Denzel Washington, Jennifer Lawrence Films After Abuse Allegations

Hollywood powerhouse producer Scott Rudin, behind such Oscar-winning hits as No Country for Old Men, The Social Network, and There Will Be Blood, said he is “stepping back” from several high-profile film, streaming, and stage projects after allegations of his abusive behavior rocked the industry.

Two weeks after the Hollywood Reporter released a lengthy story listing several accusations of Rudin’s abusive behavior with those under him, the producer announced he is stepping away from his role in various project, including the Jennifer Lawrence film Red, White and Water and Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand.

“When I commented over the weekend, I was focused on Broadway reopening successfully and not wanting my previous behavior to detract from everyone’s efforts to return,” Rudin said, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “It’s clear to me I should take the same path in film and streaming. I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior has caused and I take this step with a commitment to grow and change.”

Scott Rudin is one of Hollywood’s most prolific producers. He is also involved in upcoming film and streaming projects The Woman in the Window.

The producer is also an important presence behind Broadway productions. Rudin is reportedly backing productions of To Kill a Mockingbird, The Book of Mormon, West Side Story, and The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman. In a statement released last week, Rudin said he will “step back” from his theater work.

Sutton Foster, who is set to co-star alongside Jackman in the $17 million revival of The Music Man, spoke out last weekend saying that Rudin’s removal from the productions was “the only positive outcome.”

Still, not many others in the entertainment industry have spoken out about the accusations against Rudin. Some that have include Annapurna Pictures founder Megan Ellison, Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp, and Moulin Rouge! star Karen Olivo.

Rudin did not list the productions he is stepping away from or what he means by the phrase. But as to his Broadway properties, Rudin said his “roles to 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.”

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