Rita Wilson opened up about her experience working with disgraced producer Scott Rudin on the 2015 Broadway play Fish in the Dark.
In a New York Times story on Saturday, the 64-year-old actress recalled learning she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, she was starring in Rudin’s production of Larry David’s play. And when she told the now 62-year-old the devastating news, his reaction had been absolutely awful!
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The publication reported that Rudin allegedly whined about her needing time off for treatment during Tony voting season and claimed the show’s director, Anna Shapiro, would be “upset” at replacing the wife of Tom Hanks. The Times then recounted for Wilson that the man even asked to see her medical records, explaining:
“A few days later, just before the curtains rose, Ms. Wilson received a call from her agent, saying her surgeon needed to call the insurance adjuster immediately, per Mr. Rudin’s demands. The memory still pains her.”
WTF?!
Wilson then told the outlet how she felt Rudin’s actions were meant to intimidate and scare her, saying:
“I felt like he was trying to find a way to fire me legally. He is the kind of person who makes someone feel worthless, unvaluable, and replaceable.”
In response to the claims, a spokesman for the New York native told the outlet that “his recollection was that Ms. Wilson had wanted to open the show and then leave, but that he and the director had not wanted her to delay treatment.” Meanwhile, Shapiro said she “had been trying to be helpful and had immediately apologized when it became clear that she had unintentionally upset Ms. Wilson.”
As it turned out, the production opened on March 5, 2015, with Rita but switched to Glenne Headly in June that year. The singer-songwriter took a month’s hiatus to have a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery and then returned to the show after recovering. Thankfully, it seems she has remained cancer-free since.
In case you didn’t know, Rudin has faced backlash for weeks after The Hollywood Reporter released a detailed report revealing years of alleged physical and mental abuse, including allegedly breaking a computer on an assistant’s hand and throwing objects like glass bowls at employees.
Following the allegations, the EGOT winner announced he would step back from his future projects and the Broadway League, a trade association for producers and theater owners. Rudin said in a statement obtained by Deadline:
“I am doing so to take the time to work on personal issues I should have long ago. When I commented over the weekend, I was focused on Broadway reopening successfully and not wanting my previous behavior to detract from everyone’s efforts to return. It’s clear to me I should take the same path in film and streaming.”
He added:
“I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior has caused and I take this step with a commitment to grow and change.”
An apology still doesn’t excuse what ya did, bud. What are your thoughts on Rita Wilson’s claims, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below).
[Image via FayesVision/WENN & Joseph Marzullo/WeNN]
The post Rita Wilson Reveals Producer Scott Rudin Tried To Fire Her After Breast Cancer Diagnosis appeared first on Perez Hilton.
