Posted in: Amazon Studios, TV | Tagged: criminal

"Criminal" Showrunner Brubaker Faces Sexual, Racial Harassment Lawsuit

Criminal series showrunner Ed Brubaker and others were named in a lawsuit that includes allegations of sexual and racial harassment.

Amazon.com Services LLC, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Big Indie Pictures, Big Indie Gemini Inc., co-showrunner and executive producer Ed Brubaker, and executive producer Phillip Barnett are facing a lawsuit from a former production assistant on Prime Video's Charlie Hunnam and Emilia Clarke-starring adaptation of Brubaker and Sean Phillips's graphic novel series Criminal. The complaint alleges that the production companies and Barnett failed to correct or prevent a hostile work environment that Brubaker allegedly helped create. Filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court earlier this week, the complaint's twelve causes of action include claims of sexual harassment, racial and national-origin harassment, religious harassment and discrimination, assault, battery, negligence, and defamation. "This action arises from the sustained sexual, racial, national origin, and religious harassment that Plaintiff… a Sri Lankan American filmmaker with fourteen years of experience in the film industry, endured while working on the production of the forthcoming television series 'Criminal,'" reads the 12-claim complaint filed this week in LA County Superior Court. Some of the claims in the lawsuit being reported include:

• The complaint alleges that shortly after being hired by Big Indie Pictures, Big Indie Gemini, MGM, and Amazon to work on Criminal in February 2023, Brubaker began subjecting the plaintiff to "repeated and pervasive" sexual harassment. The alleged conduct included comments about running his hands through the plaintiff's hair, rubbing his back, asking questions about his private life, and joking about rape.
• The complaint alleges that Brubaker and others subjected the plaintiff to racial and national-origin stereotypes "about curry, comments invoking the 'Tiger Mom' trope, references to the show Never Have I Ever, and assumptions about his presumed facility with mathematics." The Sri Lankan American filmmaker also alleges that, as one of the few Muslim persons on the set, he "was subjected to a comment questioning whether he supports Hamas."
• The plaintiff alleges that Brubaker pointed a "functional firearm" directly at his face and pulled the trigger. The complaint says the incident was witnessed by a senior producer.
• The plaintiff also alleges that his efforts to seek a promotion resulted in his exit date being moved up, that he was "later barred from the set in retaliation for challenging the alleged misconduct on set," and that he did not receive a production credit.

The plaintiff's lawsuit accuses the production companies of failing to take reasonable steps to prevent or address the alleged harassment and discrimination "occurring in plain view and witnessed by multiple people, including senior producers." It also accuses Barnett of allegedly directing others to avoid documenting complaints, and, on multiple occasions, of saying, "Don't say that in front of me," and "La la, I'm not hearing that."

The court filing also states, "Executive Producer Phillip Barnett, rather than curbing this misconduct, enabled it–directing others to avoid documenting complaints and deliberately ignoring the abusive conduct occurring in plain view," The complaint further claims that, "The corporate Defendants, Amazon, MGM, Big Indie Pictures and Big Indie Gemini, Inc., failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the harassment despite the involvement of high-level supervisors and the presence of numerous witnesses, including senior producers."

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