Warner Bros. severs ties with Brett Ratner amid sexual harassment claims

Warner Bros. has severed ties with Brett Ratner in the wake of damning sexual harassment allegations in the Los Angeles Times, according to a studio source.

Top brass at the studio spent the day reviewing the allegations that Ratner had masturbated in front of actresses and forced one actress to perform oral sex on him. Ratner’s attorney has adamantly denied the charges on his behalf.

In a statement, Ratner protrayed the choice to part ways with Warner Bros. as his own.

“In light of the allegations being made, I am choosing to personally step away from all Warner Bros.-related activities,” he said in the statement. “I don’t want to have any possible negative impact to the studio until these personal issues are resolved.”

Ratner’s first-look deal with the studio had already expired, but will not be renewed. Ratner will also lose his office space on the Warners lot in Burbank, Calif., which will revert to the studio’s control.

Ratner has also been moved off The Goldfinch, an adaption of the best-selling Donna Tartt novel, which he was set to produce.

In 2013, Warner Bros. signed a $450-million co-financing deal with RatPac Entertainment, of which Ratner is CEO. That deal expires in March 2018, and there are five more films that RatPac helped finance, which will still be released.

In the L.A. Times’ story, actress Natasha Henstridge said that Ratner masturbated in front of her and then forced her to perform oral sex at his home in the early 1990s. Actress Olivia Munn also alleged that Ratner had masturbated in front of her in his trailer on the set of “After the Sunset.”

Related stories:

• Patty Jenkins on Brett Ratner Harassment Allegations: 'I Am Extremely Distressed'

• Brett Ratner Harassment Scandal: Warner Bros. 'Reviewing' Allegations

• Brett Ratner Accused of Sexual Harassment or Misconduct by Six Women (Report)

Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!