Max Landis, screenwriter behind Netflix's Bright, accused of sexual and emotional abuse by 8 women


Max Landis, the filmmaker behind movies like Netflix's Bright and son of director John Landis, has been accused of emotional and sexual abuse by eight women.
Landis is the subject of a new exposé published by The Daily Beast on Tuesday after rumors of Landis' alleged misconduct spread in 2017 and after an anonymous woman accused him of sexual assault in February.
In it, an anonymous woman referred to as Julie alleges Landis "choked me until I passed out" and would "hold me down and rape me while I said 'no' over and over." A woman referred to as Veronica alleges that Landis "pinned me" to a bed "face-down, and began touching my crotch through my leggings," also saying she later woke up "to him performing oral sex on me" after she had made clear she was not interested in sex.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ani Baker accuses Landis of pulling her head toward his crotch while she protested and in another instance putting his hands around her throat and threatening to kill her. A woman referred to as Kerry similarly says Landis once "choked me and told me he wanted to kill me." And Dani Manning recalls Landis allegedly "[smacking] food out of my hand" and "[choking] me to the point where my eyes were blacking out."
Another woman, referred to as Lainey, says that Landis "bullied and emotionally abused" her. Several women accused Landis of alleged abusive behavior on film projects as well, including Tasha Goldthwait, who described "physical, sexual, and verbal abuse" on the set of Me Him Her, Landis' directorial debut. And a woman who dropped a 2008 sexual assault allegation against Landis confirmed she made the claim, directing The Daily Beast to a friend who says she witnessed the alleged assault.
Landis, who has reportedly written a thriller that MGM is developing with Idris Elba to star, has not responded to the allegations. Read the full article at The Daily Beast.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
6 Broadway shows coming to a local theater near you
The Week Recommends Harry Potter makes an appearance. As do the wives of Henry VIII.
-
Judge rejects top state charges in Mangione case
Speed Read If convicted, Mangione faces up to life in state prison
-
UN panel finds Israeli genocide in Gaza
Speed Read The report found that Israeli leaders had committed ‘four of the five “genocidal acts”’ prohibited under the U.N. Genocide Convention
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
A long weekend in Zürich
The Week Recommends The vibrant Swiss city is far more than just a banking hub
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle