More than three years after the shelving of Aziz Ansari’s would-be feature directorial debut, the actor and comedian is speaking out about the misconduct allegations against star Bill Murray, which ultimately tanked the film.
Addressing the claims made by a crewmember on the set of “Being Mortal,” Ansari told The Hollywood Reporter that Murray was “devastated” by the accusations.
According to the outlet, a female production assistant accused Murray, now 74, of “climbing on top of her” in 2022 and “kissing her through their COVID masks” that were worn per on-set protocols.
The incident prompted an internal investigation by Searchlight Pictures, which determined the allegation had merit. The remainder of the production, which was nearly finished shooting at the time, was indefinitely suspended as a result.
“He couldn’t believe it happened. I think this movie meant a lot to him,” Ansari said, noting he still has hopes to one day complete the project, with Murray attached.
Murray previously broke his silence on the incident in April 2022, telling CNBC, he “had a difference of opinion with a woman” he was working with.
“I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn’t taken that way,” he said at the time.
In an interview with the New York Times this April, Murray said he felt “barbecued” by the experience, and insisted he “still” thinks the move was “funny.”
“It’s something that I had done to someone else before, and I thought it was funny, and every time it happened, it was funny,” he said. “I was wearing a mask, and I gave her a kiss, and she was wearing a mask. It wasn’t like I touched her … I gave her a kiss through a mask. And she wasn’t a stranger.”
The claims against Murray came four years after an anonymous woman accused Ansari of having “violated” her on a date. He addressed the allegations in his 2019 Netflix comedy special, “Right Now,” saying, he “felt so many things,” among them “scared … humiliated … embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible that this person felt this way.”
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