Issa Rae called the situation with Ezra Miller and “The Flash” a “microcosm of Hollywood” in a new interview, claiming it only highlights how studios go to great lengths to “save itself and protect offenders.”
The actor has found themselves embattled in a series of legal incidents and controversies throughout the year, while Warner Bros. reportedly weighed its options of how to handle its upcoming “Flash” film with Miller in the titular role. As of right now, the movie is still slated for a June 2023 release.
Speaking with Elle for the publication’s Women In Hollywood issue, Rae was asked what she thinks needs to be done in Hollywood for true change post-#MeToo. It was then that she brought up Miller.
“It starts with a backbone. While I don’t support people jumping to immediate conclusions and I think it’s entirely fair for investigations to happen, I think it’s extremely important to, like the mantra says, ‘Listen to women,'” she began. “I’m gonna be real, the stuff that’s happening with Ezra Miller is, to me, a microcosm of Hollywood.”
“There’s this person who’s a repeat offender, who’s been behaving atrociously, and as opposed to shutting them down and shutting the production down, there’s an effort to save the movie and them,” she continued. “That is a clear example of the lengths that Hollywood will go to to save itself and to protect offenders. So, don’t do that, and women may be able to thrive.”
“They won’t have to live in fear of keeping silent because it’ll ruin their careers,” she concluded. “It’s just a constant pattern of abuse that’ll only persist if Hollywood continues to insist on being this way.”
Miller was charged with burglary in August, following a string of other incidents all year long. At the time, they released a statement reading, “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment.”
“I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior,” the statement continued. “I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
The announcement came on the heels of a report that Warner Bros. Discovery was looking at three possible paths forward for the embattled “Flash” film amid Miller’s ongoing controversies.
According to a source for The Hollywood Reporter, Miller seeking treatment was the first of those options. If that report continues to prove true, Miller would then do an interview in which they addressed their controversial behavior. “The Flash” could then be released, however, Miller would only participate in limited press.
The statement and Miller entering treatment follow months of controversial incidents involving the actor. In June, the parents of an 18-year-old woman named Tokata Iron Eyes claimed in a court filing that Miller had been grooming their daughter for years.
The two filed in Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court, according to TMZ, seeking a restraining order for their daughter against Miller, whom they say is “on the run” with her. Iron Eyes, however, gave a different version of events.
Back in April, the “Justice League” star was arrested while in Hawaii for second-degree assault after an alleged chair-throwing incident in a friend’s home after Miller was asked to leave.
Miller was also arrested the month prior after an incident at a bar where they allegedly snatched the microphone from a woman singing karaoke and lunged toward a man playing darts. The incidents resulted in a single count of disorderly conduct.
The actor has been involved with the DCEU since appearing as The Flash in the 2017 “Justice League” film (and it’s 2021 “Zack Snyder’s” version). They reprised the role for small cameos on The CW’s “Arrow” and HBO Max’s “Peacemaker” in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
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