Brett Ratner resigns as producer of 2012 Oscar show
After remarks he made at the weekend, Brett Ratner has stepped down as producer of the 2012 Oscars...
Brett Ratner, director of Tower Heist and the Rush Hour movies, will no longer be producing the 2012 Oscar show. Ratner stepped down from his role, after growing controversy over remarks he’d made over the weekend, specifically suggesting that “rehearsal is for fags”
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences (AMPAS) released a statement overnight, confirming that Ratner had resigned, and Academy President Tom Sherak said that “He did the right thing for the Academy and for himself. Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent."
Whether this now means that Eddie Murphy will continue to host the Oscars, as planned, is unclear. Murphy was a Ratner appointment, the two having recently worked together on the aforementioned Tower Heist.
Ratner issued a statement in the aftermath of the news breaking, saying that “Over the last few days, I’ve gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people I admire most in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I said in a number of recent media appearances. To them, and to everyone I’ve hurt and offended, I’d like to apologize publicly and unreservedly.”
When a new Oscar producer is appointed to replace Ratner, we’ll let you know…
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