Bill Murray's Alleged 'Inappropriate Behavior' Shut Down Production & His Response Says Everything About How Far We Have to Go
In 2017, the #MeToo movement started a revolution in Hollywood, exposing decades of sexual harassment and abuse, but it didn’t solve the entertainment industry’s problems. In April, Aziz Ansari was working on his directorial debut in the film, Being Mortal, but star Bill Murray’s alleged on-set actions have made sure that his movie probably won’t see the light of day.
The only context the public has been given until now is that the 72-year-old actor engaged in “inappropriate behavior.” Murray explained it to CNBC, “I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn’t taken that way. It’s been quite an education for me. The world’s different than it was when I was a little kid.” That shed a little light on the fact that the Ghostbusters star blamed his age and the idea that the old-school ways of treating co-workers were still OK in 2022. Now, Puck news has revealed more details on what happened to a much-younger female crew member.
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The duo had a friendly relationship at work, but Murray reportedly felt that the woman was “flirting with him.” Instead of maintaining healthy boundaries, he decided to participate in what he viewed as a comedy bit, but the woman felt it was sexual harassment. “So at one moment when the two were in close proximity near a bed that was part of the production, Murray started kissing her body and straddling her,” a source explained to Puck’s Eriq Gardner. “It was perhaps an unclear bit of physical comedy, but one that was unannounced. She couldn’t move because he outweighed her, she alleged. Then, he kissed her on the mouth, although when he did so, both Murray and the woman were wearing masks, owing to Covid protocols.”
The crew member was reportedly “horrified” and made a complaint, as did another staffer who witnessed the entire moment play out. The film company, Disney’s Searchlight, suspended production on the film, and Murray allegedly “felt miserable” over the situation that he believed it was “a miscommunication.” In the spirit of both parties wanting to finish the film, they went to mediation where the woman settled for a little over $100,000 from Murray, signed a nondisclosure agreement, and agreed not to pursue any legal claims against the film’s producers and Disney.
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While there were consequences to Murray’s actions, $100,000 is not a huge amount of money for the actor. Did he learn anything from the situation? Or is he just thinking that younger women don’t have the same sense of humor that his generation did? (Please read that last question with lots of sarcasm.) What the events do prove is that five years later, the #MeToo movement still has a long way to go.
Click here to see celebrities who have been accused of sexual assault.
Launch Gallery: Celebrities Who Have Bravely Opened Up About Being Sexually Assaulted
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