Anna Faris has been named Ivan Reitman as the director who allegedly sexually harassed her on set.
The 45-year-old actress, who chose not to identify herself in the early days of the #MeToo movement said the late ‘Ghostbusters’ filmmaker “slapped me**” during the first day of production of the 2006 romantic comedy ‘My Super Ex-boyfriend’.
He also said Ivan, who died aged 75 in his sleep at his home in Montecito, California, in February, shouted at him, leaving him “angry, hurt and humiliated”.
Deadline reported on Wednesday (19/10/22) Anna made the claim in an upcoming episode of her ‘Unqualified’ podcast, during an interview with Lena Dunham.
He said: “One of my hardest film experiences was with Ivan Reitman. I mean, the idea of trying to make a comedy below, like, reign of terror, he shouted. He would knock someone down every day … and my first day, that was me.”
Anna, who shares son Jack, 10, with actor ex-husband Chris Pratt, 43, added that when Ivan “shouted” at her, she also felt “defensive” – and said: “He slapped my ass too… what a weird moment”.
When ‘Girls’ creator Lena, 36, asked Anna: “And no one came in and said, ‘No?’, Anna replied: “No. It was, like, 2006.”
In October 2017 at the start of the #MeToo movement, Anna had shared on her ‘Unqualified’ podcast about an incident of sexual harassment without naming Ivan.
She said: “I was doing a scene where I was on the stairs and I was supposed to take a book off the shelf and he slapped my ass in front of the crew so hard. And all I could do was laugh.
“I remember looking around and I remember seeing crew members like, ‘Wait, what are you going to do about that? It looks weird’. And that’s how I turned it down.
“I was like, ‘Well, this is nothing. Like, it’s no big deal. Get ready, Faris. Like, just laughin’.
“But it makes me feel small. She wouldn’t do that to the main man. We are conditioned to laugh.
“But also, if we do anything else, we will be branded ab**** or difficult. That would be the best of circumstances. I guess what I did was I laughed. This makes everyone feel comfortable. That’s the defense mode you’re in. ”
Page Six said Ivan’s representatives did not return their request for comment on the actress’ new claim.