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Broadway workers chant 'f**k Scott Rudin' during angry Manhattan protest over work conditions days after producer resigned over bullying allegations

  Hundreds of theater workers have marched through Broadway chanting 'f*** Scott Rudin' after the producer resigned last week over b...

 Hundreds of theater workers have marched through Broadway chanting 'f*** Scott Rudin' after the producer resigned last week over bullying allegations.

The protesters gathered outside his former office to demand more inclusion in the industry and greater transparency from the Actors Equality Association union.

Rudin, 62, who is among the most decorated producers in the film and theater industry, stepped down amid numerous bullying allegations including claims he threw a baked potato at one assistant's head and smashed a computer over another's hand.

Hundreds of theater workers have marched through Broadway chanting 'f*** Scott Rudin' after the producer resigned last week over bullying allegations

Hundreds of theater workers have marched through Broadway chanting 'f*** Scott Rudin' after the producer resigned last week over bullying allegations

The protesters gathered outside his former office to demand more inclusion in the industry and greater transparency from the Actors Equality Association union

The protesters gathered outside his former office to demand more inclusion in the industry and greater transparency from the Actors Equality Association union

A person holds a sign during the "March on Broadway" protest to demand proper accountability and safe work environments in the theater industry

A person holds a sign during the 'March on Broadway' protest to demand proper accountability and safe work environments in the theater industry

Rudin, 62, who is among the most decorated producers in the film and theater industry, stepped down amid numerous bullying allegations

Rudin, 62, who is among the most decorated producers in the film and theater industry, stepped down amid numerous bullying allegations


Rudin said he will step back from projects to 'work on personal issues I should have long ago' after the claims of physical, emotional and verbal abuse in the workplace.


Speaker after speaker on Thursday cursed Rudin's name at the protest and demanded he be removed from The Broadway League, the powerful group of theater producers. 

'Hey, hey, ho ho. Scott Rudin has got to go!' the crowd chanted. The League has not commented on the demand. 

Organizers at the march had several demands, including finding how 2020 Equity dues were spent and what percentage is used to help conversations around diversity. 

They demanded greater inclusion for transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming artists and urged efforts to improve diversity within the labor union´s council. 

Speaker after speaker on Thursday cursed Rudin's name at the protest and demanded he be removed from The Broadway League, the powerful group of theater producers

Speaker after speaker on Thursday cursed Rudin's name at the protest and demanded he be removed from The Broadway League, the powerful group of theater producers

Organizers at the march had several demands, including finding how 2020 Equity dues were spent and what percentage is used to help conversations around diversity

Organizers at the march had several demands, including finding how 2020 Equity dues were spent and what percentage is used to help conversations around diversity

They demanded greater inclusion for transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming artists and urged efforts to improve diversity within the labor union´s council

They demanded greater inclusion for transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming artists and urged efforts to improve diversity within the labor union´s council

Protesters demonstrate outside the building that houses the Actors' Equity Association in Times Square during a rally

Protesters demonstrate outside the building that houses the Actors' Equity Association in Times Square during a rally

The crowd paused in front of Equity headquarters to air their grievances, including not protecting workers who allege harassment

The crowd paused in front of Equity headquarters to air their grievances, including not protecting workers who allege harassment

'I believe that change is possible. I believe that a Broadway led by a racially diverse, many-gendered or non-conforming, many-abled theater community is possible,' said speaker Jaime Cepero. 'I believe that a consistently safe work environment in the theater is possible.' 

The crowd then paused in front of Equity headquarters to air their grievances, including not protecting workers who allege harassment and how the organization, which represents 51,000 actors and stage managers, uses the dues from members. 

Many vowed not to go back to work and not to pay their dues unless their demands were met.

In response, the union issued a statement, stating that 'diversifying Equity leadership is an important step for the union to become an antiracist organization, and that work is ongoing.' 

The union also noted that its council had just selected Wydetta Carter as a new first vice president, the first Black person in over 40 years. 'The union is working to share additional information on spending regarding diversity and inclusion,' it said.

People gather during the "March on Broadway" protest to demand proper accountability and safe work environments in the theater industry

People gather during the 'March on Broadway' protest to demand proper accountability and safe work environments in the theater industry

The march and rally was organized by Nattalyee Randall and Courtney Daniels and one of the speakers was Broadway actor Ashley De La Rosa

The march and rally was organized by Nattalyee Randall and Courtney Daniels and one of the speakers was Broadway actor Ashley De La Rosa

Actor Ryan J. Haddad (C), who has cerebral palsy, speaks out against discrimination in the theater industry against disabled and deaf actors

Actor Ryan J. Haddad (C), who has cerebral palsy, speaks out against discrimination in the theater industry against disabled and deaf actors

The allegations leveled against the 62-year-old super-producer, which date back decades, range from physical and emotional abuse to bullying and mistreatment

The allegations leveled against the 62-year-old super-producer, which date back decades, range from physical and emotional abuse to bullying and mistreatment

The homemade signs at the march ranged from the blunt - 'Burn It Down' ,'Scott Rudin out' and 'Black Trans Artists´ Lives Matter' - to the theatrical

The homemade signs at the march ranged from the blunt - 'Burn It Down' ,'Scott Rudin out' and 'Black Trans Artists´ Lives Matter' - to the theatrical

The homemade signs at the march ranged from the blunt - 'Burn It Down' and 'Black Trans Artists´ Lives Matter' - to the theatrical, including 'We Got Trouble' and 'This is Literally the Plot of `Newsies.´' Some in the crowd wore 'Cats' and 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' hoodies.

The march and rally was organized by Nattalyee Randall and Courtney Daniels. One of the speakers was Broadway actor Ashley De La Rosa, who said she has lost count of how many times she was the only Black person in the room. 

'There is a culture of white supremacy that is built into this industry and into our world that tells us that we can't,' she said. 'This must change before we return to work.'

Actor Ryan J. Haddad lamented that disabled and deaf actors are often invisible in the theater community. 'We belong in the room. We are every one of you,' he said. 'We have the talent. We have the skills. We need the support.'

The allegations leveled against the 62-year-old super-producer, which date back decades, range from physical and emotional abuse to bullying and mistreatment.

Many of the former staffers were entry-level employees who worked as assistants fresh out of college. 

Broadway producer Scott Ruddin said on Saturday that he was stepping aside from his productions

Broadway producer Scott Ruddin said on Saturday that he was stepping aside from his productions 

In one alleged incident in 2012, Rudin was accused of sending a bleeding male assistant to the hospital after smashing an Apple computer monitor on the employee's hand because he couldn't get a seat on a sold-out flight. 

Staffers also detailed witnessing him throw laptops at walls, a stapler at a theater assistant and a glass bowl at another employee that smashed after hitting a wall. 

In 2018, he threw a baked potato at his then-assistant for not telling him earlier that he had a meeting scheduled with someone from the New York based A24 media company.

'I went into the kitchen, and I was like, 'Hey, Scott, A24 is on the way up. I'm not sure what it's concerning,'' the unnamed employee said. 

'And he flipped out, like, 'Nobody told me A24 was on my schedule.' He threw it at me, and I dodged a big potato. He was like, 'Well, find out, and get me a new potato'.' 

Others described Rudin screaming at them from such a close distance that his spit landed on their faces. 

'When you feel his spit on your face as he's screaming at you, saying, 'You're worth nothing,' it obviously makes an impact, and we're young,' one of his former assistants said. 

'Over his long career, there are hundreds and hundreds of people who have suffered. And some have given up their dreams because he made them feel and believe that they can't do whatever it is they're trying to do.' 

Of the films Rudin has produced, 23 have won Oscars and 151 have been nominated. He is pictured above with Meryl Streep on the set of The Hours in 2002

Of the films Rudin has produced, 23 have won Oscars and 151 have been nominated. He is pictured above with Meryl Streep on the set of The Hours in 2002

Rudin is among the most decorated in the industry and is among the few to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards - otherwise known as EGOT status. He is pictured with Carole Shorenstein Hays, Viola Davis and Denzel Washington at the 2010 Tony Awards

Rudin is among the most decorated in the industry and is among the few to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards - otherwise known as EGOT status. He is pictured with Carole Shorenstein Hays, Viola Davis and Denzel Washington at the 2010 Tony Awards

Rudin is pictured second from left on the set of the 2002 film Changing Lanes with Ben Affleck (right) and director Roger Michell (left)

Rudin is pictured second from left on the set of the 2002 film Changing Lanes with Ben Affleck (right) and director Roger Michell (left)

One former employee, Caroline Rugo, who worked as an executive coordinator for six months, said she could have sued Rudin but feared being blacklisted in the industry.   

'Everyone just knows he's an absolute monster,' Rugo said. 

Sources told THR that lawsuits or complaints against Rudin's bullying from employees were often quietly settled. 

Some employees said he was also vindictive and would go as far as changing credits on IMDb that they had obtained working for him when they quit.  

Rudin is among the most decorated in the industry and is among the few to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards - otherwise known as EGOT status. 

Of the films he has produced, 23 have won Oscars and 151 have been nominated. Rudin has also won 17 Tony Awards for his work on Broadway. 

His film producing credits include: No Country for Old Men, Lady Bird, The Social Network and The Truman Show.  

While many in the industry have faced a reckoning in the wake of Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement, Rudin's ex-employees say the super-producer has managed to continue on with his alleged abusive behavior. 

No one who spoke to THR alleged sexual abuse of misconduct by Rudin. 

Rudin is pictured on the New York set of Finally Famous with Chris Rock in 2014

Rudin is pictured on the New York set of Finally Famous with Chris Rock in 2014

Rudin is pictured above with The Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg
Rudin pictured with True Grit star Jeff Bridges

His film producing credits include: No Country for Old Men, Lady Bird, The Social Network and The Truman Show. He is pictured above with The Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg (left) and True Grit star Jeff Bridges (right)

Separately from the allegations made by his staffers, Rudin's outbursts made headlines back in 2014 when emails he had written about stars, including Angelina Jolie, were leaked when Sony was the victim of hacking. 

The most damning batch of emails that were leaked included one in which Rudin and Sony Pictures Chair Amy Pascal exchanged racist comments about President Barack Obama. 

They spoke about what Pascal could speak to Obama about at a 2013 event and started listing off films about slavery and naming black actors.

Pascal stepped down as head of Sony in the wake of the hacking saga.  

In a separate email, Rudin had called Angelina Jolie 'a minimally talented spoiled brat' while discussing who would direct her upcoming remake of Cleopatra. 

Rudin issued an apology in the Sony hacking instance, saying the emails had been 'written in haste'. 

'Private emails between friends and colleagues written in haste and without much thought or sensitivity, even when the content of them is meant to be in jest, can result in offense where none was intended,' Rudin said at the time.'I made a series of remarks that were meant only to be funny, but in the cold light of day, they are in fact thoughtless and insensitive - and not funny at all. To anybody I've offended, I'm profoundly and deeply sorry, and I regret and apologize for any injury they might have caused.'  

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