00:00The team behind Sound of Freedom has remained silent so far on new allegations involving the
00:04real-life subject of the film, Tim Ballard. Actor Jim Caviezel portrays Ballard in the
00:09movie, which has grossed more than $182 million domestically and $210 million worldwide.
00:15Ballard, a former Department of Homeland Security official, is the founder of the
00:19anti-child trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad. On Monday, a Vice News report detailed
00:24anonymous allegations against Ballard relating to his quiet exit in late June from the organization
00:29which he launched in 2013. His departure came as Angel Studios was readying Sound of Freedom for
00:35release over the July 4th holiday. Ballard embarked on undercover overseas missions to fight child
00:39trafficking upon starting Operation Underground Railroad. According to Vice, he brought women
00:44to pose as his wife on these missions and allegedly coerced them to share a bed or shower with him
00:48under the guise that these behaviors were needed to fool child traffickers. Vice also reported that
00:53an Operation Underground Railroad employee who traveled with Ballard on an overseas mission
00:57filed a sexual harassment claim against him. Ballard has not responded directly to the allegations and
01:02did not respond to THR's request for comment. Sound of Freedom filmmaker Alejandro Monteverde did not
01:07respond to a request for comment Monday, neither did Angel Studios. An Operation Underground Railroad
01:12spokesperson made the following statement to THR, which read in part,
01:15Tim Ballard resigned from OUR on June 22, 2023. He is permanently separated from OUR. OUR is dedicated
01:23to combating sexual abuse and does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination by anyone in
01:28its organization. OUR retained an independent law firm to conduct a comprehensive investigation of all
01:34relevant allegations. And OUR continues to assess and improve the governance of the organization and
01:39protocols for its operations. For more on this story and the latest updates, head to THR.com.
01:44This is The Hollywood Reporter News.
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