Warner Bros. has severed ties with Hollywood producer, Brett Ratner after six women accused him of sexual assaut and sexual harassment

 

Warner Bros. has severed ties with Hollywood producer, Brett Ratner after six women accused him of sexual assaut and sexual harassment, a studio source said; Top brass at the studio spent the day reviewing the allegations that Ratner had masturbated in front of actresses and forced one actress to perform oral sex on him. Though Ratner’s attorney has adamantly denied the charges on his behalf, the studio chose not to renew its production deal with Ratner and will be removing him as producer from the upcoming film "The Goldfinch," which is an adaption of the best-selling Donna Tartt novel.

In a statement, Ratner said it was his choice to part ways with Warner Bros.

He said in the statement: "In light of the allegations being made, I am choosing to personally step away from all Warner Bros.-related activities. I don’t want to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved."

Ratner’s first-look deal with the studio had already expired, but will not be renewed. Ratner will also lose his office space on the Warners lot in Burbank, California, which will revert to the studio’s control.

In 2013, Warner Bros. signed a $450-million co-financing deal with RatPac Entertainment, of which Ratner is CEO. That deal expires in March 2018, and there are five more films that RatPac helped finance, which will still be released. No decision has been made on whether or not the pact will be renewed. A lot will depend on what AT&T, which is closing a deal to buy Warner Bros.’ parent company Time Warner, wants to do in terms of film financing. It will also likely depend on whether or not RatPac investor Len Blavatnik severs ties with Ratner, Variety reports.

In the L.A. Times’ story, actress Natasha Henstridge said that Ratner masturbated in front of her and then forced her to perform oral sex at his home in the early 1990s. Actress Olivia Munn also alleged that Ratner had masturbated in front of her in his trailer on the set of "After the Sunset". Melanie Kohler, also claimed on Facebook that Ratner had raped her in the mid-2000s, an allegation Ratner denies and has led to him filing a defamaion suit.