Friday, April 18, 2014
Actress Lashes Back After Being Sued for Refusing Nude Sex Scene
Hollywood Reporter: Two years ago, Anne Greene sued Time Warner, HBO, Cinemax and producers True Crime claiming that she was bullied into performing nude scenes, sexually harassed and placed in a dangerous work environment on the set of Femme Fatales.
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14 comments:
Ah, this was not the most comfortable article to read! I have trouble believing that the actress had no idea what could be required of her on an HBO show, especially when she signed off on a contract that included the willingness to do nude scenes if they came up. A part of me thinks that is a lack of responsibility on the part of the actress, but the way the production company handled the legal case and the actress's discomfort with the scene seems rather cold and out of line. If nudity is being used in performing arts, it should be done so in only the most respectful, comfortable, and safest of environments. The idea of being pressured into nudity and then being sued for an honest concern with the scene is pretty intimidating. The company definitely should have made whatever upcoming scenes they had clear, well in advance of the shooting in order to ensure the most comfort while acting the scene, and the lateness of the script changes that then included nudity does not seem at all fair to spring on an actor.
I'm still a little fuzzy on the details of this article. To me, it seems like either the producers had put a clause in the contract to cover her sex scenes, or they didn't. If it wasn't explicitly in her contract that she would be doing this sort of performance, then there's nothing they can say that should make her do it. It'll be interesting to see what the court says about this case.
It's really unclear based on this article what actually happened here. Both the actress and the company give very conflicting accounts- the company claims they did everything to warn and prepare her, and she claims the exact opposite. Whatever happened, I don't think it's right to actually sue her for refusing to do something that makes her uncomfortable. No matter what she agreed to, if she changes her mind it's not right to make her perform a sex scene. With sexual things, it's not as simple as legal agreements. In addition, she definitely didn't sign anything agreeing to be bled on. However, she did sign a contract and it does seem like she should have known what she was getting into.
This is sickening. Even if there is some contract that 'legally binds her' to perform these acts, no law should make you give up control to your own body. As soon as she or he or anyone in this sort of situation feels uncomfortable, whatever is happening should immediately stop and the situation should be addressed. And 'contract' which makes a person feel unsafe or dehumanized should not exist. It is ridiculous and upsetting that a person could be treated so disrespectfully, as if actors or simply objects and not people two.
It seems like the production company doesn't have too much of a case if they are suing this woman for "being a disturbance." "Being a disturbance" doesn't sound like it will hold much weight against "being sexually harassed." This whole situation sounds really messy, and it definitely seems like there are things that both parties are holding back. However, with the given information, I do not think the production company has any chance in this lawsuit. In fact, I think the production company is only making this whole situation worse by bringing it back to the surface.
I echo the comments above me in that this article is very confusing making it hard to see what actually happened. To me though that makes it all the more accurate as it seems to report all the facts without painting a negative picture of either party. There is no clear answer to this case, and that is the really interesting part. What she was to be doing during the shoot should have been in her contract, and thus she should have been aware of it. However, continuing the shoot while her male counterpart bled on her was clear negligence on the part of the producing organization and a blatant violation of rights.
This article was really confusing, but from what I was able to understand, what happened to that actress is horrible. It's disgusting that someone could be forced to strip and be filmed while a guy with a sock over his penis is pretending to have sex with her. I don't think contracts should be allowed to have that much control over a person, and people should totally be allowed to have cold feet about doing stuff like that. When I used to work with nude models, the contracts were all about comfort level and people didn't have to do things that they weren't comfortable with. The fact that a bunch of people in suits have the right to make somebody act naked is messed up, and hopefully the outcome of this trial will help to protect more people in the film industry and to prevent things like this from happening again.
If she felt at any point uncomfortable doing a nude scene on film, she should not be required in the slightest to perform. It is her body, and even if she had been aware of what the job entailed, when the time came to film, she should only do what she is comfortable with. If either actor was uncomfortable, or at risk of infection, the filming should have stopped IMMEDIATELY. This is an unacceptable and unsafe work environment.
It's remarkable that this is still an issue now a days. The fact that there wasn't an opt out for this actress is absolutely absurd. I don't see there being any reason to make exceptions to someone's simple demands. If someone sees something as uncomfortable, there should not be any pressure for them to continue with the scene.
This is definitely a touchy article and part of me has sympathy with both sides of the case. On one hand, I agree with Joe, the actress had a contract to sign which I'm sure explicitly went into detail about the possibility of nude scenes, especially for HBO. She could not have gone into this not realizes what the typical HBO show is like and what could potentially be asked of her. And then on the other hand, the way it sounds like the company and legal team handled the situation is almost inexcusable.. Even if she had signed a contract regarding nudity and sex, there should always be an understanding with the actors if they ever become uncomfortable performing a role and it is frustrating to hear that this is not always the case.
The facts in this article seem a bit disorganized. the company seems to have covered their bases while the actress says she was not treated accordingly. From her account, I understand why she is fighting the company. No one should have to do these uncomfortable things! Even if she changed her mind, it's still her body and her rights.
This is always a touchy areas for actors and actresses. I believe in here situation her actions were completely justified. If she beliefe they were pushing her into an uncomfortable position unprofessionally then she has every right to sue them. Choosing to be seen nude on anything is a decision that should be made before the auditioning process begins.
After reading this article, I feel an extreme discomfort with working in collaboration with any television network. With any sensitive matter that is shown on screen or performed for the scene, I feel that there must be a clear declaration between both parties, the network and the actor, to reach a comfortable agreement so nothing crosses the line. However, this article has shown that the shot must go before all consent of the actor, which makes me extremely weary of working with any part of the film industry.
Well this is ridiculous. My jaw dropped when I read this article. Its absolutely terrible how they handled this situation. It does seem crazy that she didn't know she was expected to be nude, but either way, it's all wrong. Dealing with nudity in the arts should be extremely professional and there should be no legal pressure to perform in any way. This makes me worried for the community of actors and actresses, I truly hope something can be done about this.
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