Justice League actress Gal Gadot has confirmed that producer Brett Ratner — who is being accused of multiple cases of sexual misconduct — will no longer be involved in the Wonder Woman sequel.
Gadot made headlines earlier this week for saying that she would leave the film should Ratner stay on board. She has now confirmed that Ratner had already been removed from the franchise by the time the story first broke.
“At the end of the day, a lot has been written about my views and the way that I feel, and everyone knows the way that I feel because I’m not hiding anything,” Gadot told Savannah Guthrie of Today. “But the truth is, there’s so many people making this movie — it’s not just me — and they all echoed the same sentiments.”
She went on: “Everyone knew what the right thing to do [was]. But there was nothing for me to actually come and say because [the decision] was already done before this article came out.”
Ratner has been a long time Hollywood producer, known for directing the Rush Hour films, as well as producing titles such as The Revenant, Black Mass, Horrible Bosses and more. His production company — RatPac Entertainment has a long-running huge financial deal with Warner Brothers, having helped produce the first Wonder Woman film.
His departure follows the growing list of individuals accusing him of sexual misconduct, the latest being X-Men: The Last Stand (which was directed by Ratner) actress Ellen Page, who describes him as having “blatantly homophobic and abusive behavior” in a Facebook post. Ratner’s lawyer — Marty Singer — has denied all such allegations and Ratner himself is suing one of the accusers for libel, according to Vanity Fair.
Ratner has, however, left Ratpac for now. “In light of the allegations being made, I am choosing to personally step away from all Warner Bros.-related activities,” he said in a statement via USA Today. “I don’t want to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved.”
An anonymous individual also told Entertainment Weekly that Ratner’s deal with the studio had expired and, due to the allegations, would not be renewed. Ratpac Entertainment will no longer obtain any office space at the Warner Bros. lot.
Gal Gadot also posted an Instagram story earlier this month, saying: “Bullying and sexual harassment is unacceptable! I stand by all the courageous women confronting their fears and speaking out. Together we stand. We are all united in this time of change.”