Director Shane Black gets emotional discussing Olivia Munn 'Predator' controversy: I 'caused pain to the cast and that's not acceptable'
Olivia Munn felt “iced out” by her colleagues on The Predator after reporting to the studio that director Shane Black had cast a registered sex offender, a personal friend of his, to share a scene with her. On Wednesday, that ice seemed to be thawing — ever so slowly — at the film’s L.A. premiere, where Black publicly apologized to her and the rest of the cast for letting them down.
Black got emotional on the red carpet while discussing the controversy, which saw the studio, at Munn’s behest, cut a scene featuring actor Steve Wilder (real name: Steven Wilder Striegel), who was convicted in 2010 of two felonies for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with his 14-year-old female cousin when he was 38. “I have reached out to Olivia,” the director told Entertainment Tonight. “I felt that I owed her that call, that apology, and I’m very sorry for any pain that she’s felt, but I reached out privately.”
Black, who skipped the press line at previous Predator promotional events, went on to say, “If I caused her pain, it’s on me. It’s my fault. I made a decision, which was a very bad [one].” However, he said he wasn’t aware of the details of Wilder’s conviction. “Look, it’s not about the fact that I was as shocked to discover what’s going on at reading these horrible things in the paper. That’s still on me. I’m the captain to the ship, and I’m not allowed to make choices for people. I’m not allowed to just treat this like we’re kids in college and putting friends in movies, because this is big leagues. And I felt like I had let people down and caused pain to the cast, and that is not acceptable. So I felt, yes, I had to reach out. It is very important to me that she receive a proper apology — a private proper apology — if she wants it.”
He made similar comments to the Associated Press (see video above) and said he was disappointed that the movie is being “overshadowed” by the “stupid decision that I made.”
Soon after his apology, the victim in the 2010 crimes identified herself via the Los Angeles Times. Paige Carnes, now 24, said she has “no shame for what was done to me. I am not the one who needs to carry that shame.” She also thanked Munn for fighting on her behalf. “I am also eternally grateful” to the actress, she said. “She spoke up for me. She took a stance for me. In turn, she stood for all who have suffered like I have. To be acknowledged by a stranger, on a public platform, about this issue is incredibly empowering. The positive feedback from social media toward Olivia Munn is uplifting and feels incredibly supportive for me personally.”
Despite Black’s red carpet apology at the premiere, he and Munn definitely weren’t buddy-buddy on the carpet. They weren’t near each other and had no photo ops together. Munn also said that he didn’t reach out to her directly with his “private proper apology.” However, she said she was touched by the “amazing outpouring of support and shared outrage from fans, social media, and the news outlets.”
And while said she Munn felt “chastised” by castmates when she was at the Toronto International Film Festival, and some of them bailed on doing press with her to avoid the controversy, she was getting lots of love from co-stars last night. Sterling K. Brown, who previously spoke out to say he was sorry she felt alone (though noting he wasn’t scheduled to attend the TIFF), again offered his support for her Wednesday night. He also said that studios should have the authority to do background checks to prevent this from happening. (They currently aren’t allowed to. Either way, in California, employers don’t have to disclose whether they employ a registered sex offender.)
Keegan-Michael Key also publicly supported Munn’s decision last night, saying, “I support her. I’m very proud of her. We’re dear friends. I’m so glad she brought it to everybody’s attention.”
“The support from my co-stars has been amazing,” Munn said Wednesday night, “and it’s been really special to me to receive that.”
For his part, Wilder, who also appeared in Black’s Iron Man 3, previously told the Los Angeles Times that the director knew all about his conviction, for which he spent six months in prison. “I’ve known Shane Black 14 years, well before this incident, and I think it’s worth noting that he was aware of the facts,” he said of his casting. “Shane can speak for himself, but I’m quite certain that if he felt I was a danger in any way to have around, he would not have” made the casting decision he did.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
