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Brett Ratner Javier Rojas/Pi/Zuma Press/PA Images

Studio cuts ties with director after Olivia Munn and others accuse him of sexual misconduct

Munn claims Brett Ratner masturbated in front of her on a film set.

A HOLLYWOOD STUDIO has cut ties with film director Brett Ratner after six women — including actor Olivia Munn — accused him of sexual misconduct in a Los Angeles Times report published yesterday.

Playboy Enterprises quickly distanced itself from Ratner as his lawyer denied the allegations. Warner Bros has also reportedly severed ties with the director.

Ratner is the latest prominent Hollywood figure accused of sexual harassment. Yesterday Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman apologised for allegedly sexually harassing a 17-year-old intern in 1985.

Munn complained about Ratner’s on-set behaviour, alleging that while visiting the production of After the Sunset in 2004 he masturbated in front of her in his trailer. Munn described the incident, without naming Ratner, in a 2010 collection of essays.

Ratner’s lawyer issued a statement yesterday in which he said the director “vehemently denies the outrageous derogatory allegations” and is “confident that his name will be cleared once the current media frenzy dies down and people can objectively evaluate the nature of these claims”.

Ratner directed the Rush Hour film series, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand and Tower Heist.

Warner Bros

According to a source, Ratner will no longer occupy rented office space on Warner Bros’ lot in Burbank, California. He has also been removed from the adaptation of Donna Tartt’s novel The Goldfinch, which he had previously been set to produce.

Ratner’s production company RatPac Entertainment has a financing deal with the studio that will continue until March 2018. The $450-million (about €386 million) co-financing agreement was signed in 2013 and it remains unclear whether it will be renewed.

It has encompassed much of Warner Bros’s output, including Wonder Woman, It and Justice League. A Warner Bros representative declined to comment.

Ratner had previously said he would step away from work with Warner Bros for an unspecified amount of time. “I don’t want to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved,” he said.

Playboy Enterprises has shelved any of its projects that involved Ratner, including a biopic of Hugh Hefner which was due to star Jared Leto. “We are deeply troubled to learn about the accusations against Brett Ratner. We find this kind of behaviour completely unacceptable,” a statement read.

Ratner and Hoffman are the latest Hollywood figures to face allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct — a list that now includes producer Harvey Weinstein, writer-director James Toback, and actors Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Piven.

Read: Dustin Hoffman accused of sexually harassing a teenage intern during 1980s

Read: House of Cards production suspended following Kevin Spacey sexual assault allegations

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    Mute David Garland
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 12:06 PM

    Dublin Airport badly needs that second runway.. There’s times in the summer when you could be close to an hour sitting on the tarmac waiting to takeoff as the one runway is used for takeoff and landings.. As somebody else pointed out, if you don’t like the sound of planes don’t buy a house close to the Airport.

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    Mute Stephen Fitzgerald
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 1:14 PM

    @David Garland: Dublin Airport cant handle the passengers from the current runway yet alone another. Yesterday passport control room in t2 was full with only two passport inspectors for eu passports and two for non eu with a queue of about 20. Does not make much sense increasing numbers until it can handle the current level.

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    Mute David Garland
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 3:43 PM

    @Stephen Fitzgerald: Obviously all aspects of the Airport have to improve. You would like to think the other infrastructure like public transport, passport control baggage handlers etc would increase before the runway opens but then again it’s Ireland we’re talking about.

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    Mute Dermot Byrne
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 6:13 PM

    @David Garland: I think the issue is the number of movements allowed between 23:00hrs and 07:00hrs, most European airports close or have reduced movements during these times Dublin currently is allowed 65 movements the DAA’s current management want that to be unlimited. This would go against European best practice.

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    Mute Tony Stanley
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 6:18 PM

    @Dermot Byrne: well thats rubbish. There are very few airports in Europe with night time jet bans.
    Others have limited operations but what has currently been capped for Dublin is one of the most restricted.

    But sure we all love some good made up “facts” on the journal!

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    Mute Jesus Christ
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:28 AM

    Don’t buy a house next to an airport. KTHXBAI

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    Mute Darren B
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:26 AM

    Thankfully they weren’t around for the Antonov AN-12 at the weekend!

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    Mute Suzanne Dorgan
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 12:18 PM

    @Darren B: Now that is an impressive aircraft!

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    Mute Niall
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 12:17 PM

    With Fingal’s history, that means total disaster for anybody south and west of the Airport.

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    Mute Eamon
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 12:40 PM

    @Niall: not much choice really i’d say, planes have to take off and land into the prevailing winds, which are generally from that direction.

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    Mute Grainne Tallon
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 1:07 PM

    @Niall: I was thinking the same – Dub Airport is pretty much on the border of Fingal.

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    Mute kevinhunt101
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 1:19 PM

    I’m confused, aircraft were a lot noisier years ago

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 1:40 PM

    @kevinhunt101: yeah well I want treble glazed windows.

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    Mute kevinhunt101
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 1:59 PM

    @Shawn O’Ceallaghan: don’t buy near an airport and you won’t need that lol. Airports are only ever going to expand , nobody forces anyone to buy near an airport. Don’t buy a new home near the airport in 1985 for example and complain, doesn’t make sense

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    Mute Boris Becker
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 7:28 PM

    Timing of the new runway is perfect……for the fresh batch of young people who will be leaving this wonderful (not so well run) country of ours. If u aint a social sponge or earning 100k when you leave school a plane out of here is one of their best options to take

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