Producer Scott Rudin Says He Will "Step Back" From Broadway Shows Following Workplace Harassment Claims

In an exclusive statement to the Washington Post, theater and film producer Scott Rudin has announced that he will "step back from active participation" on his current and upcoming Broadway productions, following the recent Hollywood Reporter article detailing lengthy workplace harassment claims against him.

In the three-paragraph statement, Rudin apologized for the "pain my behavior caused to individuals, directly and indirectly." His role as lead producer on shows ranging from To Kill a Mockingbird to the planned revival of The Music Man "will be filled by others from the Broadway community and in a number of cases, from the roster of participants already in place on those shows." The statement goes on to say that he doesn't want "any controversy associated with me to interrupt Broadway's well deserved return, or specifically, the return of the 1500 people working on those shows."

In the weeks since the Hollywood Reporter article was released, pressure had been mounting for artists associated with Rudin's shows to publicly repudiate his alleged actions, though word from the industry at large was relatively silent. Earlier this week, Karen Olivo, the Tony-nominated star of Moulin Rouge!, a production that Rudin had not worked on, announced she would not be returning to her role, in protest of that wide-ranging silence.

Prior to the shutdown, Rudin had three productions running on Broadway: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Book of Mormon, and West Side Story. The Music Man is currently scheduled to open at the Winter Garden Theatre this winter.