Trigger Warning: This article includes discussions of sexual assault, abuse and trauma.
With stars like Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Taylor Swift, Christian Bale, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek and many more, director David O. Russell’s untitled film set to release in 2022 has a stellar cast.
However, the Academy Award-nominated director’s troubled and abusive past has most people disappointed and angry that such celebrities would work with a man like Russell following the Me Too movement. It is especially frustrating when some of the celebrities involved in this project have spoken up on the longstanding abuse in Hollywood, either as allies or survivors, only to align themselves with a powerful abuser.
In 2011, Russell admitted to groping his 19-year-old transgender niece at a Florida gym. But since the assault wasn’t witnessed by police, he did not face any charges and the case was closed. According to a police report mentioned in the Chicago Tribune, Russell was helping her with ab exercises and talking about hormones when he touched both breasts under her shirt.
Additionally, the director has a well-documented history of physically and verbally abusing actors on film sets. In an interview with GQ Magazine, actress Amy Adams revealed Russell made her cry most days on the set of “American Hustle.”
Although Adams said her co-star Jennifer Lawrence was able to handle Russell’s harsh behavior on set, she also said the sight of people being treated badly made her uncomfortable. When journalist Stuart McGurk mentioned the film’s success, including 10 Academy Award nominations and over $250 million in box office sales, Adams simply replied, “Life to me is more important than movies.”
Even though Adams talked about Russell’s ruthless behavior on film sets in 2016, this is not breaking news. While shooting his 2004 comedy, “I Heart Huckabees,” Russell’s disturbing behavior was captured on camera. In the video, he screams and curses at actress Lily Tomlin while kicking and throwing objects. One crew member can also be seen on the right side of the room, trying to get away from the scene between Russell and Tomlin.
Russell’s troubling past on movie sets does not end at Adams and Tomlin either. In 2017, journalist Amy Zimmerman compiled a lengthy list of Russell’s history for the Daily Beast.
However, The problem with Russell (as well as disgraced directors like Harvey Weinstein, Woody Allen, Bryan Singer, etc.) is not the exercise of power and control behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Also, the problem is not necessarily the abuse itself but their abuse of power, which I mentioned in a review of the HBO docuseries “Allen v. Farrow.”
In the piece, I wrote about how “…the system that perpetuates and protects [men like Russell], allows abusers to thrive in secrecy as survivors are silenced.” As a result, some people forget about these cases and the survivors who have to carry this trauma with themselves forever.
When thinking about the star-studded cast for Russell’s upcoming project, it’s difficult to see these celebrities as not part of the system that protects and enables abusers, even if they have spoken out against it in the past. And while it has become clear over time that many celebrities are performative in their activism, it’s still important to call them out.
It’s also important to note that Russell’s unsettling past is only one example of abuse of power in Hollywood— others have taken advantage of their power to hurt those below them and have not been caught.
In terms of progress and accountability, the stories of Adams and Tomlin, as well as his niece, are tragic reminders of the work that still needs to be done to protect people in the Hollywood industry and elsewhere.
Featured image by De’Andre Bush on Unsplash