Warner Bros. reportedly cuts ties with filmmaker Brett Ratner after harassment allegations

After six women came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against filmmaker Brett Ratner, Warner Bros. decided to sever ties with him, several people with knowledge of the situation told The Hollywood Reporter Wednesday.

The women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, shared their stories with the Los Angeles Times; Ratner's attorney, Martin Singer, said Ratner "categorically" denied the allegations. Ratner released a statement saying that in light of the accusations, "I am choosing to personally step away from all Warner Bros.-related activities. I don't want to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved."

Warner Bros. decided it will not renew his first-look deal, which had already expired, and he can no longer rent the offices on the studio lot once used by Frank Sinatra, The Hollywood Reporter says; the Rush Hour director has also been removed as a producer on the film adaptation of the book The Goldfinch. Ratner remains a partner in RatPac-Dune Entertainment; he formed RatPac Entertainment in 2012 with Australian billionaire James Packer, and the company merged with current U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's Dune Entertainment in 2013. That year, Warner Bros. signed a $450 million financing agreement with the joint venture.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.