Six women claim that they were victims of sexual harassment and/or assault at the hands of ‘Rush Hour’ director Brett Ratner in a Los Angeles Times expose.
Among the women are model-turned-actress Natasha Henstridge, 43, who said that Ratner raped her in the early nineties after the two spent an evening hanging out at a friend’s apartment in Manhattan.
‘He strong-armed me in a real way. He physically forced himself on me,’ said Henstridge, who was 19 at the time.
‘At some point, I gave in and he did his thing.’
Also coming forward is actress Olivia Munn, who claims that the director masturbated in front of her back in 2004 when she was asked to deliver food to his trailer on the set of ‘After the Sunset.’
‘He walked out … with his belly sticking out, no pants on, shrimp cocktail in one hand and he was furiously masturbating in the other,’ said Munn.
‘And before I literally could even figure out where to escape or where to look, he ejaculated.’
Ratner, through his attorney Marty Singer, denied the allegations of both women.
Allegations: Natasha Henstridge (left in 2006) claims that Brett Ratner raped her; Olivia Munn says he masturbated in front of her back in 2004 (right in 2016)
Not me: Ratner (above in August) is denying all these allegations through his attorney Marty Singer
‘I’ve made specific, conscientious choices not to work with Brett Ratner,’ said Munn, who told her sister about the incident between her and the director immediately after it occurred over a decade ago.
‘It feels as if I keep going up against the same bully at school who just won’t quit. You just hope that enough people believe the truth and for enough time to pass so that you can’t be connected to him anymore.’
Munn also shed light on why many women do not come forward, saying that at her sister’s recommendation she called an attorney back in 2004 to look into filing charges or a lawsuit against Ratner.
That attorney, claims Munn, recommended that she do nothing given Ratner’s power in Hollywood and her desire to become an actress.
‘That did leave an impact on me,’ said Munn.
‘How broken do women have to be before people listen?’
Munn’s situation was further complicated by the fact that Rather, who ‘vehemently denies’ the allegations, made light of the incident in subsequent years.
After she wrote about the run-in but not name the director in her 2011 memoir ‘Suck It, Wonder Woman! The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek,’ ,Ratner revealed that he was the director during an appearance on the show Munn previously hosted, ‘Attack of the Show.’
‘I used to date Olivia Munn, I will be honest with everybody here,’ said Ratner.
‘When she was “Lisa.” That was the problem. She wasn’t Asian back then.’
Ratner later apologized for that comment on Howard Stern, saying he did not mean to make Munn look like a ‘whore’ and the two never had sex.
He did not apologize for mocking her half-Japanese heritage.
That also came a year after Munn claims Ratner asked her why she hated him at an event before stating: ‘Why? I bought 10 of your magazines and came over all of them.’
Ratner does not remember making that statement, which at least three people at the event confirmed being told about that same evening.
Singer also said that Ratner and Munn had an intimate relationship, which the actress called a ‘complete fabrication.’
Speaking out: Jamie Ray Newman (left in 2003) claims that in 2005 Ratner ‘graphically described’ how he wanted to perform oral sex on her; Katherine Towne (right in 2008) says he followed her into a bathroom
Jamie Ray Newman, who has appeared on shows including ‘Drop Dead Diva,’ ‘Wicked City’ and ‘Bates Motel’ over the past decade said she had just gotten her first big break when she ran into Ratner on a 2005 flight.
She was excited to talk to the director about the industry, but that was not the direction their conversation headed according to the actress.
‘He was graphically describing giving me oral sex and how he was addicted to it,’ said Newman.
She later told her parents about the conversation, which she said began roughly five minutes after take-off.
Ratner also showed Neman, 39, nude photos of his girlfriend at the time claims Newman.
In 2005, the director was sating Serena Williams.
Newman’s story was dismissed as a ‘ridiculous claim’ by Singer.
Katherine Towne, 39, also had a run-in with Ratner around this time while attending a party at his Los Angeles home.
The actress and daughter of Oscar-winning ‘Chinatown’ scribe Robert Towne said that Ratner made repeated advances on her despite her lack of interest, and later followed her into the bathroom.
She said that she tired to diffuse the situation by joking about her weight, to which Ratner replied: ‘I like them chubby sometimes.’
Towne said she gave the director her number and made a hasty exit, but then had to deal with six months of nonstop phone calls from his assistant.
‘Even if hypothetically this incident occurred exactly as claimed, how is flirting at a party, complimenting a woman on her appearance, and calling her to ask her for a date wrongful conduct?’ asked Singer.