An upcoming #MeToo documentary will no longer have ??? ??Oprah Winfrey's name attached when it debuts at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in January.
The as-yet-untitled documentary focuses on an unnamed former music executive who has accused Def Jam Recordings co-founder and Rush Communications CEO Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct. It's not the first time Simmons has faced such an accusation.
Winfrey was originally on board to executive produce the documentary, which comes from the filmmaking team of Kirby Dick (director) and Amy Ziering (producer). But Winfrey confirmed in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter on Friday that she's stepping back from the project.
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The statement also confirmed that the documentary will no longer be coming to Apple TV+ after Sundance, as had originally been planned. Winfrey struck a deal with Apple in 2018 to bring original content to the then-unrevealed service.
The statement makes it clear that while Winfrey is stepping back from the movie, she continues to "believe and support the women." But, it goes on, she felt "there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured." So ultimately, it comes down to a difference of opinion between Winfrey and Dick/Ziering over the "creative vision."
While Apple's official description of the movie never identified the accuser by name, the movie's Sundance description does share that information. Drew Dixon, a former music executive, was one of several women to come forward in 2017 with allegations about Simmons' behavior.
Dick and Ziering previously worked together on The Invisible War(among other projects). The earlier documentary, which premiered at Sundance in 2012, focused on sexual misconduct inside the U.S. military. It won a number of awards, including a Peabody and an Emmy, and it was nominated for an Oscar.
You can read Winfrey's full statement below:
I have decided that I will no longer be executive producer on The Untitled Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering documentary and it will not air on Apple TV+. First and foremost, I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women. Their stories deserve to be told and heard. In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured, and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision. Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are talented filmmakers. I have great respect for their mission but given the filmmakers’ desire to premiere the film at the Sundance Film Festival before I believe it is complete, I feel it’s best to step aside. I will be working with Time’s Up to support the victims and those impacted by abuse and sexual harassment.
The filmmakers expressed their disappointment with the decision in a separate statement, but applauded Winfrey's support more generally for the story their documentary aims to tell. They also confirmed that the Sundance premiere would move forward nonetheless (and would presumably include a hunt for a buyer with Apple now out of the picture).
"Revealing hard truths is never easy, and the women in our documentary are all showing extraordinary strength and courage by raising their voices to address sexual abuse in the music industry," the statement from Dick and Ziering reads.
"While we are disappointed that Oprah Winfrey is no longer an Executive Producer on the project, we are gratified that Winfrey has unequivocally said she believes and supports the survivors in the film."