In a statement Friday night, Warner Bros. pushed back against claims made earlier in the day by “Justice League” actor Ray Fisher about DC Films President Walter Hamada. The company also said the actor has so far refused to cooperate with an independent investigation into accusations of misconduct he made earlier this summer against several key figures involved with the production.
In July, Fisher, who played Cyborg in the film based on the DC Comics characters, publicly accused the film’s credited director, Joss Whedon, of “gross, abusive, unprofessional” behavior on set. Fisher also said that Whedon’s behavior was enabled by then-DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns, and by Jon Berg, former co-president of production at WB. Berg left the company in December 2017 as part of a “restructuring,” while Johns stepped down 7 months later.
Warner Bros. launched an independent investigation in mid-August, a move Fisher initially celebrated. But on Friday he criticized the company on Twitter, saying: “After speaking out about Justice League, I received a phone call from the President of DC Films wherein he attempted to throw Joss Whedon and Jon Berg under the bus in hopes that I would relent on Geoff Johns. I will not.”
Through a spokesperson Friday night, WB firmly denied Fisher’s accusation. “At no time did Mr. Hamada ever ‘throw anyone under the bus,’ as Mr. Fisher has falsely claimed, or render any judgments about the ‘Justice League’ production, in which Mr. Hamada had no involvement, since filming occurred before Mr. Hamada was elevated to his current position,” the statement said.
The company also said Fisher did not describe “actionable misconduct,” and that he has since refused “multiple” attempts by the independent investigator to contact him. “Warner Bros. remains committed to accountability and to the well-being of every cast and crew member on each of its productions. It also remains committed to investigating any specific and credible allegation of misconduct, which thus far Mr. Fisher has failed to provide,” the statement concluded.
Representatives for Fisher didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.
Read the company’s full statement below:
In July, Ray Fisher’s representatives asked DC Films President Walter Hamada to talk to Mr. Fisher about his concerns during the production of “Justice League.” The two had previously spoken when Mr. Hamada asked him to reprise his role as Cyborg in Warner Bros.’ upcoming Flash movie, together with other members of the Justice League. In their July conversation, Mr. Fisher recounted disagreements he’d had with the film’s creative team regarding his portrayal of Cyborg, and complained that his suggested script revisions were not adopted. Mr. Hamada explained that creative differences are a normal part of the production process, and that a film’s writer/director ultimately has to be in charge of these matters. Notably, Mr. Hamada also told Mr. Fisher that he would elevate his concerns to WarnerMedia so they could conduct an investigation. At no time did Mr. Hamada ever “throw anyone under the bus,” as Mr. Fisher has falsely claimed, or render any judgments about the “Justice League” production, in which Mr. Hamada had no involvement, since filming occurred before Mr. Hamada was elevated to his current position.
While Mr. Fisher never alleged any actionable misconduct against him, WarnerMedia nonetheless initiated an investigation into the concerns he’d raised about his character’s portrayal. Still not satisfied, Mr. Fisher insisted that WarnerMedia hire an independent third party investigator. This investigator has attempted multiple times to meet with Mr. Fisher to discuss his concerns but, to date, Mr. Fisher has declined to speak to the investigator. Warner Bros. remains committed to accountability and to the well-being of every cast and crew member on each of its productions. It also remains committed to investigating any specific and credible allegation of misconduct, which thus far Mr. Fisher has failed to provide.
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