Actress Rita Wilson Says Scott Rudin Made Her Feel ‘Worthless’ After Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Actress and singer Rita Wilson has added her voice to accusations of abuse lodged against embattled Hollywood producer Scott Rudin, saying that she suspected he sought to fire her after she asked for time off due to her breast cancer diagnosis.

Wilson, who is married to actor Tom Hanks, worked with Rudin during the production of the Broadway comedy Fish in the Dark, but in an interview with the New York Times, she says that Rudin made her feel “worthless, unvaluable, and replaceable” after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.

As the Times explained, when Wilson “told Mr. Rudin the news, she said, he complained that she would need time off during Tony voting season and asked to see her medical records, while Anna Shapiro, the director, grew upset about having to find a replacement.”

A few days later, Wilson said, her talent agent told her Rudin had demanded that the insurance carrier for the production review her medical records. Rudin’s demand led Wilson to believe that Rudin was hunting for a way to fire her instead of paying for her medical needs.

“He is the kind of person who makes someone feel worthless, unvaluable, and replaceable,” Wilson told the Times.

Last week, Rudin abruptly announced that he was “stepping back” from his producer duties after the Hollywood Reporter released a lengthy story listing several accusations about Rudin’s abusive behavior with his employees.

“It’s clear to me I should take the same path in film and streaming. I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior has caused, and I take this step with a commitment to grow and change,” he said in a statement.

The producer is a vital presence behind big Broadway titles, including stage productions of To Kill a Mockingbird, The Book of Mormon, West Side Story, and The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman. But he is also one of the executives behind such hit films as No Country for Old Men, The Social Network, and There Will Be Blood.

Twenty-three of the films he has helped produce have won Oscars, and an impressive 151 have been nominated. Rudin has also won 17 Tony Awards on Broadway.

Rudin’s announcement came on the heels of allegations of his abusive behavior lodged by several of his past employees.

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