Rudin has an extremely successful career. His films have earned 151 Oscar nominations, 23 wins, and he’s won 17 Tony Awards. He’s also one of the very few EGOT recipients in Hollywood.
Scott Rudin has announced that he is taking a step back from Broadway. As the New York Times explains, this comes after the famed producer has faced accusations of bullying and verbal abuse.
Rudin has had a wildly successful career. His films have earned 151 Oscar nominations and 23 wins, and he’s won 17 Tony Awards. He’s also one of the very few EGOT recipients in Hollywood (he’s won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards). Before the coronavirus pandemic shut down Broadway, he had three shows running: “West Side Story,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and the long-running musical “The Book of Mormon.”
Earlier this month, the Hollywood Reporter published an article in which several ex-staff members made allegations that Rudin had been abusive.
In his statement given to the Washington Post, Scott Rudin said, “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.”
"After a period of reflection, I’ve made the decision to step back from active participation on our Broadway productions, effective immediately. My roles will be filled by others from the Broadway community and in a number of cases, from the roster of participants already in place on those shows.”
He added that he hoped that Broadway could open successfully soon, and he stressed that he didn’t want the controversy surrounding him to interrupt Broadway's return or the people working on the shows.
The New York Times states that the Actors’ Equity Association recently called on Rudin to release former employees from their nondisclosure agreements, which in some cases blocked them from talking openly about their time working with him.
Union president Kate Shindle and executive director Mary McColl released a statement that said, “We have heard from hundreds of members that these allegations are inexcusable, and everyone deserves a safe workplace whether they are a union member or not.”
The Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, and the American Federation of Musicians Local 802 have also released a separate statement. Without mentioning Scott Rudin’s name, they said, “No worker should be subjected to bullying or harassment.”
