Ellen Page accuses Brett Ratner of making homophobic and misogynistic comments
— -- Actress Ellen Page claims that director Brett Ratner made homophobic and misogynistic comments on the set of his 2006 movie "X-Men: The Last Stand."
Page, who identifies as a lesbian but was not out at the time the movie was being made, wrote in a long Facebook post today that during a meet-and-greet before filming, Ratner told another woman to "f--- her to make her realize she's gay."
Actress Anna Paquin, who was also in the movie, confirmed Page's account in a tweet Friday.
Page said that Ratner made degrading comments to other women on set too.
"I was a young adult who had not yet come out to myself. I knew I was gay, but did not know, so to speak. I felt violated when this happened. I looked down at my feet, didn’t say a word and watched as no one else did either. This man, who had cast me in the film, started our months of filming at a work event with this horrific, unchallenged plea. He 'outed' me with no regard for my well-being, an act we all recognize as homophobic," Page wrote. "This public, aggressive outing left me with long standing feelings of shame, one of the most destructive results of homophobia. Making someone feel ashamed of who they are is a cruel manipulation, designed to oppress and repress. I was robbed of more than autonomy over my ability to define myself. Ratner’s comment replayed in my mind many times over the years as I encountered homophobia and coped with feelings of reluctance and uncertainty about the industry and my future in it."
Page also claims that during filming, she was reprimanded for refusing to wear a T-shirt that said "Team Ratner," though the director "was not being punished nor fired for the blatantly homophobic and abusive behavior we all witnessed."
A representative for Ratner did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on Page's allegations.
Earlier this month, in a report from The Los Angeles Times, Ratner, 48, was accused by six women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, of sexual misconduct. Another woman, Melanie Kohler, accused him of raping her more than a decade ago, in a since-deleted Facebook post.
"I can't get through the day without being reminded of it," Kohler told ABC News' chief anchor George Stephanopoulos earlier this week. "I have so much respect for these women who are coming forward and sharing these humiliating things that happened to them."
Ratner's attorney, Martin Singer, released a statement last week slamming those actresses' allegations as "outrageous" and "derogatory" and said Ratner "vehemently denies" their claims. Martin also sued Kohler on Ratner's behalf, alleging defamation.
Kohler's attorney, Robbie Kaplan, told ABC News that she believes the lawsuit filed against her client was part of an attempt by Ratner to "send a message to other women."
"We're here to send a very strong message that it's not going to stop Melanie from speaking," Kaplan said. "And it's not going to stop other women from speaking."
Page is one of them. The actress wrote that she has experienced inappropriate behavior at several points in her career, including being touched inappropriately by a director at 16, being asked to sleep with a man in his late 20s by a director and being sexually assaulted by a grip. She concluded her statement by voicing support for others who have accused powerful men of wrongdoing.
"This is a long awaited reckoning. It must be. It’s sad that 'codes of conduct' have to be enforced to ensure we experience fundamental human decency and respect. Inclusion and representation are the answer," she wrote. "We’ve learned that the status quo perpetuates unfair, victimizing behavior to protect and perpetuate itself. Don’t allow this behavior to be normalized. Don’t compare wrongs or criminal acts by their degrees of severity. Don’t allow yourselves to be numb to the voices of victims coming forward. Don’t stop demanding our civil rights. I am grateful to anyone and everyone who speaks out against abuse and trauma they have suffered. You are breaking the silence. You are revolution."
