As Scott Rudin’s fallout from allegations of workplace abuse continues, Rita Wilson has spoken out about her experiences with the producer.
In a New York Times article published on Saturday, Wilson detailed that Rudin had made her feel “replaceable” after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015. At the time, Wilson was starring in Larry David’s play “Fish in the Dark,” which was produced by Rudin. When she told Rudin about her diagnosis, Wilson said he “complained that she would need time off during Tony voting season and asked to see her medical records,” according to the Times.
Wilson then received a call a few days later from her agent, who informed Wilson that Rudin had asked her surgeon to call the insurance adjuster as soon as possible.
“I felt like he was trying to find a way to fire me legally,” Wilson told the Times. “He is the kind of person who makes someone feel worthless, unvaluable and replaceable.”
Wilson underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery to treat the cancer, and returned to “Fish in the Dark” after a one-month hiatus.
Representatives for Rudin did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment. However, a spokesperson for Rudin told the Times that the producer thought Wilson “had wanted to open the show and then leave,” but denied that Rudin had wanted Wilson to delay treatment for her cancer.
In the same Times story, Rudin also revealed that he is resigning from the Broadway League, which Variety later confirmed with representatives from the League.
The fallout surrounding Rudin comes after the publication of a Hollywood Reporter story on April 7 that detailed allegations of abuse and bullying, including alleged instances where Rudin threw a stapler and baked potato at workers and smashed a computer monitor on the hand of an assistant.
In the past week, Rudin has also announced that he is “stepping back” from an “active producer” role on Broadway as well as his film and streaming projects. Rudin was involved with the Broadway productions of “The Book of Mormon,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Ivo van Hove’s reimagining of “West Side Story” and “The Music Man” starring Hugh Jackman. As for film, Rudin was set to produce several films for A24, including “The Humans” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” However, A24 has since cut ties with Rudin and he will exit those projects.