Brett Ratner files defamation suit against accuser
WATCH Producer Brett Ratner accused of sexual misconduct by 6 women
Director and producer Brett Ratner has filed a defamation suit in Hawaii federal court in response to a woman calling him a "rapist" in a Facebook post.
The suit, filed by attorney Eric Seitz, is not tied to The Los Angeles Times report from earlier this week, where six women alleged that Ratner, 48, either sexually harassed or assaulted them. The defendant in this lawsuit, Melanie Kohler, was not named in the article. She has since taken down her Facebook post.
Read: Producer Brett Ratner accused of sexual misconduct by 6 women
"This is an action for defamation arising from the defendant's deliberately false and malicious accusations that plaintiff raped the defendant 'about 12 years ago,'" according to the suit, which was obtained by ABC News.
A request for comment from Kohler, who lives in Hawaii, was not immediately returned to ABC News.
"Commencing on or about Oct. 20, 2017, defendant recklessly and/or intentionally posted a statement on her Facebook page claiming that 'Brett Ratner raped [her]," the suit said.
Kohler said she had met the director at a Los Angeles club more than 12 years ago. She claimed Ratner took her to the home of fellow producer Robert Evans, where Ratner "forced her" to have sex, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages, noting that Ratner wants a "jury trial" to clear his name.
This legal development comes on the heels of The LA Times piece, where six actresses, including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, told the paper that Ratner was sexually inappropriate and/or abusive. Munn claims that as an aspiring actress she was forced to witness him pleasuring himself, while Henstridge claims he "physically forced himself" on her for oral sex.
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Greg Doherty/Getty ImagesIn a statement to ABC News, Ratner's general counsel, not just specifically for this defamation suit, Martin Singer denied the allegations against his client.
"Brett Ratner vehemently denies the outrageous derogatory allegations that have been reported about him, and we are confident that his name will be cleared once the current media frenzy dies down and people can objectively evaluate the nature of these claims," Singer said in the statement. "He understands the seriousness of this issue and the importance of addressing the concerns of victims of sexual misconduct both in the entertainment industry and beyond."
While Warner Bros. now says it's reviewing the accusations against the filmmaker, putting on hold a long-in-development Hugh Hefner biopic Ratner was to produce and direct, Ratner released a statement to ABC News regarding his relationship with the studio, noting, "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."
ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.
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