Film producer Scott Rudin accused by ex-employees of abusive and bullying behavior

Award-winning producer Scott Rudin has been accused of physically assaulting his staff with a computer monitor and a baked potato as former employees described him as an ‘absolute monster’ who left them traumatized with his rage and workplace outbursts. 

Several of Rudin’s former staffers who worked for him at his Scott Rudin Productions spoke out about his alleged abusive and bullying behavior in a series of interviews with The Hollywood Reporter published on Wednesday.  

The allegations leveled against the 62-year-old super-producer, which date back decades, range from physical and emotional abuse to bullying and mistreatment.

Many of the former staffers were entry-level employees who worked as assistants fresh out of college.

Rudin, whose latest production Woman In The Window starring Amy Adams will be released by Netflix next month, would not comment on any of the allegations made by his former staffers. 

Several of Award-winning producer Scott Rudin’s former staffers who worked for him at his Scott Rudin Productions spoke out about his alleged abusive and bullying behavior in a series of interviews with The Hollywood Reporter published on Wednesday 

In one alleged incident in 2012, Rudin was accused of sending a bleeding male assistant to the hospital after smashing an Apple computer monitor on the employee’s hand because he couldn’t get a seat on a sold-out flight. 

Staffers also detailed witnessing him throw laptops at walls, a stapler at a theater assistant and a glass bowl at another employee that smashed after hitting a wall. 

In 2018, he threw a baked potato at his then-assistant for not telling him earlier that he had a meeting scheduled with someone from the New York based A24 media company.

‘I went into the kitchen, and I was like, ‘Hey, Scott, A24 is on the way up. I’m not sure what it’s concerning,” the unnamed employee said. 

‘And he flipped out, like, ‘Nobody told me A24 was on my schedule.’ He threw it at me, and I dodged a big potato. He was like, ‘Well, find out, and get me a new potato’.’ 

Others described Rudin screaming at them from such a close distance that his spit landed on their faces. 

‘When you feel his spit on your face as he’s screaming at you, saying, ‘You’re worth nothing,’ it obviously makes an impact, and we’re young,’ one of his former assistants said. 

‘Over his long career, there are hundreds and hundreds of people who have suffered. And some have given up their dreams because he made them feel and believe that they can’t do whatever it is they’re trying to do.’ 

Of the films Rudin has produced, 23 have won Oscars and 151 have been nominated. He is pictured above with Meryl Streep on the set of The Hours in 2002

Of the films Rudin has produced, 23 have won Oscars and 151 have been nominated. He is pictured above with Meryl Streep on the set of The Hours in 2002

Rudin is among the most decorated in the industry and is among the few to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards - otherwise known as EGOT status. He is pictured with Carole Shorenstein Hays, Viola Davis and Denzel Washington at the 2010 Tony Awards

Rudin is among the most decorated in the industry and is among the few to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards – otherwise known as EGOT status. He is pictured with Carole Shorenstein Hays, Viola Davis and Denzel Washington at the 2010 Tony Awards

Rudin is pictured second from left on the set of the 2002 film Changing Lanes with Ben Affleck (right) and director Roger Michell (left)

Rudin is pictured second from left on the set of the 2002 film Changing Lanes with Ben Affleck (right) and director Roger Michell (left)

One former employee, Caroline Rugo, who worked as an executive coordinator for six months, said she could have sued Rudin but feared being blacklisted in the industry.   

‘Everyone just knows he’s an absolute monster,’ Rugo said. 

Sources told THR that lawsuits or complaints against Rudin’s bullying from employees were often quietly settled. 

Some employees said he was also vindictive and would go as far as changing credits on IMDb that they had obtained working for him when they quit.  

Rudin is among the most decorated in the industry and is among the few to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards – otherwise known as EGOT status. 

Of the films he has produced, 23 have won Oscars and 151 have been nominated. Rudin has also won 17 Tony Awards for his work on Broadway. 

His film producing credits include: No Country for Old Men, Lady Bird, The Social Network and The Truman Show.  

While many in the industry have faced a reckoning in the wake of Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement, Rudin’s ex-employees say the super-producer has managed to continue on with his alleged abusive behavior. 

No one who spoke to THR alleged sexual abuse of misconduct by Rudin. 

Rudin is pictured on the New York set of Finally Famous with Chris Rock in 2014

Rudin is pictured on the New York set of Finally Famous with Chris Rock in 2014

Rudin is pictured above with The Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg

Rudin pictured with True Grit star Jeff Bridges

His film producing credits include: No Country for Old Men, Lady Bird, The Social Network and The Truman Show. He is pictured above with The Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg (left) and True Grit star Jeff Bridges (right)

Separately from the allegations made by his staffers, Rudin’s outbursts made headlines back in 2014 when emails he had written about stars, including Angelina Jolie, were leaked when Sony was the victim of hacking. 

The most damning batch of emails that were leaked included one in which Rudin and Sony Pictures Chair Amy Pascal exchanged racist comments about President Barack Obama. 

They spoke about what Pascal could speak to Obama about at a 2013 event and started listing off films about slavery and naming black actors.

Pascal stepped down as head of Sony in the wake of the hacking saga.  

In a separate email, Rudin had called Angelina Jolie ‘a minimally talented spoiled brat’ while discussing who would direct her upcoming remake of Cleopatra. 

Rudin issued an apology in the Sony hacking instance, saying the emails had been ‘written in haste’. 

‘Private emails between friends and colleagues written in haste and without much thought or sensitivity, even when the content of them is meant to be in jest, can result in offense where none was intended,’ Rudin said at the time.

‘I made a series of remarks that were meant only to be funny, but in the cold light of day, they are in fact thoughtless and insensitive – and not funny at all. To anybody I’ve offended, I’m profoundly and deeply sorry, and I regret and apologize for any injury they might have caused.’