Famed Hollywood producer Scott Rudin accused of bullying, abuse by ex-staffers

Scott Rudin, pictured here with the Coen brothers, has been accused of abusing his staffers. Photo / Getty Images

Award-winning producer Scott Rudin has been accused of physical and mental abuse of his staff, several of whom have now spoken out.

According to a new exposé published in the Hollywood Reporter today, Rudin's success was built on the alleged hard labour and traumatisation of young staff, reports Fox News.

Rudin, who has won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards for producing movies such as There Will Be Blood, The Social Network and No Country For Old Men, is also behind TV shows such as The Newsroom and What We Do In The Shadows.

He declined to comment on any of the specific allegations brought up in the Hollywood Reporter's story, and representatives from his production company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

In the piece, several ex-employees, some of whom remained anonymous, recalled occasions on which Rudin subjected them to "abusive" conditions and temper tantrums.

One alleged that Rudin once threw a fit when an assistant was unable to book him a seat on a sold-out flight, claiming that he smashed an Apple computer monitor on the assistant's hand causing a bleeding wound.

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Another, Caroline Rugo, described similar instances of abuse, saying that Rudin would throw objects around the office in fits of anger.

"He threw a laptop at the window in the conference room and then went into the kitchen and we could hear him beating on the napkin dispenser," Rugo said. "Another time he threw a glass bowl at [a colleague]. It's hard to say if he threw it in the general direction or specifically at [the colleague], but the glass bowl hit the wall and smashed everywhere. The HR person left in an ambulance due to a panic attack. That was the environment."

Rugo also alleged that physical abuse wasn't the only toxic working habit Ruden displayed. When she took on the role, she knew she was signing up for days longer than 10 hours starting at 5am but, as she has Type 1 diabetes, needed 30 minutes a day to exercise. Rudin approved this, but six months later he allegedly got angry at her over a work matter and demanded that she either work faster or skip her gym time. She refused.

“Everyone Just Knows He’s an Absolute Monster”: Scott Rudin’s Ex-Staffers Speak Out on Abusive Behavior https://t.co/CNm8mBi4DG

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 7, 2021

"I got fired for having Type 1 diabetes, which is a federally protected disability," said Rugo, who now works in development at Netflix. "I 100 per cent could have sued him. But I didn't because of the fear of being blacklisted. But I've worked at Netflix for a year and a half now. And it was such a shock to the system because it's one of the most respectful and progressive workplaces in terms of employee relations. Now that I have established myself here and I am a part of a team where my opinions are respected and welcomed, I have no issue speaking out about Scott. Everyone just knows he's an absolute monster."

Others also allege that Rudin has historically attempted to ruin people's careers after they stopped working for him. And the article adds that his "toxic" behaviour has been something of an open secret for years.

Although his behaviour has been dismissed as eccentric, former staff are now calling for a reckoning with Rudin's "casual disregard for human rights".