Despite reports about his involvement in upcoming Hugh Hefner biopic, Jared Leto denies the claims in a firm, clarifying statement.
- Nov 2, 2017
AceShowbiz - Following Brett Ratner's scandal, Jared Leto has released a statement that denies his involvement in a Hugh Hefner biopic, which was set to be directed by Ratner. Through his representative, the singer said he never intended to play Hefner.
The 30 Seconds to Mars vocalist firmly stated that he had never been and would never be attached to Ratner's films. "Jared Leto is not and was not attached to a Brett Ratner-directed Hugh Hefner film, nor will he be working with him in the future," the actor's representative stated to Entertainment Weekly. "Earlier reports were incorrect and not confirmed by his representatives."
After Ratner obtained the rights to film Hefner's story, Ratner claimed that Leto contacted him during the initial production of the biopic. "When he heard I got the rights to Hef's story, he told me, 'I want to play him. I want to understand him.' And I really believe Jared can do it. He's one of the great actors of today," Ratner told The Hollywood Reporter. He also reportedly tried to introduce Leto to Hefner in April 2017, but was unable to do so because of Hefner's declining health.
Ratner, who carved his pathway to Hollywood stardom through "Rush Hour" series, has been accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by six women that he once worked with. As a result, his future plans to make a film about the Playboy founder is put on hold. "We are deeply troubled to learn about the accusations against Brett Ratner. We find this kind of behavior completely unacceptable. We are putting all further development of our projects with RatPac Entertainment on hold until we are able to review the situation further," a Playboy Enterprises spokesperson stated to Entertainment Weekly.
Even though Ratner had been an integral part of Warner Bros.' movie-making machine, the studio decided to sever ties with the filmmaker. The 48-year-old director has officially responded to the multiple accusations and decided to step down from the studio. "In light of the allegations being made, I am choosing to personally step away from all Warner Bros.- related activities," Ratner said in a statement. "I don't want to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved."
