00:00High-profile director Brett Ratner has been accused of sexual assault or harassment
00:04by six women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, who revealed
00:09their experiences with the director to the Los Angeles Times.
00:12Henstridge claims that Ratner forced her to perform oral sex on him in his New York
00:16apartment in the 1990s. The actress, then a 19-year-old model, was hanging out with
00:20the then-music video director watching TV. Henstridge fell asleep, she told the Times,
00:25and when she woke up, the others had left and she was alone with Ratner.
00:28He blocked the exit and began touching himself, she tells the Times, and then he forced
00:32her to perform oral sex on him. Ratner's attorney, Martin Singer, dismissed the accounts
00:36in a 10-page letter to the Times, writing,
00:50Ratner acknowledged spending time with Henstridge but disputed her claims. Singer accused her
00:55being upset after learning my client had a girlfriend who he would not leave for her.
00:59Henstridge was compelled to speak out as hundreds of women have come forward about their
01:03experiences with sexual harassment or assault, including by such high-profile figures as
01:07Harvey Weinstein and director James Toback in recent weeks. Munn, meanwhile, said that Ratner
01:12masturbated in front of her when she visited him on the set of the 2004 movie he directed
01:16After the Sunset. Munn was new to Hollywood when she had her experience with Ratner and was asked
01:21to drop off some food in his trailer as a favor. She was under the impression that he
01:25wouldn't be there, but he was.
01:27He walked out with his belly sticking out, no pants on, shrimp cocktail in one hand,
01:31and he was furiously masturbating in the other, Munn told the Times.
01:35THR senior film writer Tatiana Siegel also noted that Ratner previously had this fake movie
01:40poster for a film called Shrimp on his Instagram account. He has since deleted the post.
01:45And before I literally could even figure out where to escape or where to look, he ejaculated.
01:50She told the Times she let out a startled scream and raced out of his trailer.
01:54When she told the man who asked her to make the delivery, Munn recalled of his response,
01:58It wasn't a shock. It wasn't a surprise. It was just, ugh, sorry about that.
02:02Munn said she called her sister, who urged her to speak to an attorney, but the lawyer she
02:06met with dissuaded her from going up against a powerful director.
02:09That did leave an impact on me, Munn told the Times about her chat with the attorney.
02:13How broken do women have to be before people listen? I shouldn't have to be completely broken,
02:19battered and devalued in order to prove that he crossed a line.
02:23Munn told the Times she had been angry about persistent false rumors that they were intimate,
02:27and she decided to come forward about her experience for other women who are brave enough to speak up.
02:32It feels as if I keep going up against the same bully at school who just won't quit, Munn said,
02:37telling the Times that she specifically avoided working with Ratner.
02:40You just hope that enough people believe the truth and for enough time to pass so that you can't
02:45be connected to him anymore. Ratner vehemently disputes Munn's claim, Singer said.
02:50In response to the claims, Warner Bros., where Ratner has a first-look deal and is a partner in the
02:55Rat Pack Dune Entertainment Slate financing deal that covers multiple studio films, including
02:59Wonder Woman, told The Hollywood Reporter that it is reviewing the situation.
03:04A source told THR Warner Bros. is reviewing Ratner's presence on the lot, where he currently
03:08occupies the plum offices once used by Frank Sinatra.
03:11To read more on the sexual harassment and assault claims against Brett Ratner, head to THR.com.
03:16For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Lyndsey Rodrigues.
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