Producer Scott Rudin said Saturday that he will “step back from active participation” in his Broadway productions.
The statement comes after an article from the Hollywood Reporter that detailed allegations of harassment and intimidation made by Rudin’s former assistants. Following the article, theatrical unions issued a statement condemning workplace harassment, and Actors’ Equity later called for Rudin’s assistants to be released from any nondisclosure agreements.
Last week, actor Karen Olivo said she would not return to “Moulin Rouge!” in protest of the silence from other industry members around the allegations.
In his statement to the Washington Post, Rudin acknowledged the allegations and apologized for his behavior.
“Much has been written about my history of troubling interactions with colleagues, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior caused to individuals, directly and indirectly,” he wrote in statement to the Post.
He wrote that his role in several Broadway productions will be “filled by others from the from the Broadway community and in a number of cases, from the roster of participants already in place on those shows.”
Rudin is currently a lead producer on “The Music Man,” “The Lehman Trilogy,” “West Side Story,” “To Kill A Mockingbird” and “The Book of Mormon.” He is also one of the architects of NY PopsUp, which is seen as a means to bring back Broadway and other live entertainment across the city.
A spokesperson for Rudin confirmed his statement, but declined to expand on what a lack of “active participation” would entail.
