Sterling K. Brown is the target of online backlash after he publicly addressed his “Predator” co-star Olivia Munn — who previously voiced discomfort over having unknowingly performed a scene in the film with a registered sex offender. She later said she felt isolated from the male castmates speaking up about it.
Brown shared his response in a string of tweets, and the part of his commentary that is drawing the most ire is when he appeared neutral in regards to Steven Wilder Striegel, a friend of “Predator” director Shane Black who served prison time and is a registered sex offender.
“What is and isn’t forgivable? That’s gonna [sic] very from individual to individual,” Brown tweeted on Saturday.
On detractor chimed in: “Sexual Abuse [sic] of a minor is up for debate regarding forgiveness?”
Munn spoke out in an interview with Vanity Fair about feeling isolated by her male castmates after she filmed a scene, unknowingly, with Striegel. The scene has since been removed from the film.
Munn said that during interviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, she was left to talk to reporters about the scene alone, and that when it was brought up one time, one of her co-stars walked out of the interview.
Brown took to Twitter, saying, “I’m sorry you’re feeling so isolated, my dear,” adding that he wasn’t at the festival and “didn’t have an opportunity” to be there with Munn.
“What I take issue with, (& I believe Shane addressed this in his apology), is that we all have the right to know who we’re working with! And when someone has been convicted of a crime of a sexual nature involving a child, we have the right to say that’s not okay!”
That’s gonna vary from individual to individual. You and @BonafideBlack may differ when it comes to that issue. I don’t have all the details regarding his friend’s crime, but I know it involves a minor, and he spent time in jail. With regards to forgiveness, I leave that to…
— Sterling K Brown (@SterlingKBrown) September 9, 2018
Our studio was not given that opportunity, and neither was our cast. Especially @oliviamunn who was the only member of the principal cast who had to work with him. I so appreciate that you “didn’t leave well enough alone,” & again, I’m sorry you feel isolated in taking action.
— Sterling K Brown (@SterlingKBrown) September 9, 2018
Thank you to @20thcenturyfox for taking quick action in deleting the scene. @oliviamunn I hope you don’t feel quite so alone. You did the right thing. ?
— Sterling K Brown (@SterlingKBrown) September 9, 2018
Though Brown spoke in praise of Munn, many commenters took issue with the language used to describe Striegel’s sex offender status and the actions of director Shane Black, who cast Striegel in the film.
“I don’t have all the details regarding his [Black’s] friend’s crime, but I know it involves a minor, and he spent time in jail. With regards to forgiveness, I leave that to the individual,” Brown wrote.
One user responded to Brown, writing, “Sterling you know good & well this is some defensive, protect-your-neck-AF bull.” The majority of the comments appeared to voice a similar dissatisfaction:
Sexual Abuse of a minor is up for debate regarding forgiveness?
— Valerie Complex @ TIFF 2022 (@ValerieComplex) September 9, 2018
Sterling you know good & well this is some defensive, protect-your-neck-AF bull. I'm a fan but damn, you're really trying to mitigate the situation with "forgiveness"? B, you know if it was your child, you wouldn't think twice. Stop playing the game & be real. "Not alone", smdh.
— Childish Landino (@MannonFire01) September 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/kelleent/status/1038773869266567168
Would forgiveness be the wave if this predators actions had affected you directly or your hypothetical children? Probably not.
There should be a stronger denoucement. Particularly for @BonafideBlack because not only did he put the cast in a very ugly position to begin with…
— Ms. Kent is HEATED (@IWriteAllDay_) September 9, 2018
Last week, The Los Angeles Times reported that Black had cast Striegel, his friend, in a short, three-page dialogue between him and Munn where his character, a jogger, repeatedly hits on Munn’s character Though Black knew of his friend’s sex offender status, the studio, Fox, did not, and Munn said Black failed to inform the cast as well.
It was only after shooting wrapped that Munn discovered Striegel had pleaded guilty to two charges in 2010 after being accused of sexually propositioning a teenager by email. She notified Fox and the scene was deleted.