Director Brett Ratner appears unwilling to take recent accusations against him sitting down.
After six women came forward accusing Ratner of sexual harassment, the director has decided to take legal action against one of them.
Variety reports that Ratner has filed a defamation suit in a Hawaii court against Melanie Kohler. A week before the Los Angeles Times report about Ratner was released, Kohler wrote on Facebook that she had been raped by the director in the mid-2000s.
Read: Olivia Munn and Five Other Women Accuse Director Brett Ratner of Sexual Harassment, Misconduct
She claimed that “Ratner was a rapist on at least one night in Hollywood about 12 years ago,” contending that he “preyed on [her] as a drunk girl and forced himself upon [her].”
Ratner’s lawsuit quotes Kohler’s post, alleging that “commencing on or about October 20, 2017, defendant recklessly and/or intentionally posted a statement on her Facebook page claiming that ‘Brett Ratner raped [her].’” According to Variety, the lawsuit claims the statements were made falsely, with “the intent to damage Ratner’s reputation.” Ratner is seeking general, special, and punitive damages.
Read: Poll: Roughly Half of All Working Women Have Been Sexually Harassed
Following the allegations made against him, Warner Bros. has reportedly severed ties with Ratner. In a statement published by Deadline, however, Ratner said that he is “choosing to personally step away from all Warner Bros.-related activities,” as he doesn’t want “to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved.”
