Director David O. Russell’s latest film, “Amsterdam,” boasts an all-star cast, including major names like Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie, Christian Bale, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy and Robert De Niro. Drake, who is one of the executive producers, completes the long list of celebrities involved in the film. The murder mystery, set in the 1930s, hits theaters on October 7.
It’s just the latest offering from Russell, a director with five Oscar nominations under his belt for critically acclaimed films including “Silver Linings Playbook,” “The Fighter” and “American Hustle.” ‘Amsterdam’ is his first film since 2015’s ‘Joy’. But allegations of abuse have also dogged the director for years, with famous actors like George Clooney and Amy Adams accusing him of on-set misbehavior, plus allegations of groping from Russell’s own niece.
Ahead, we break down all the major allegations against the controversial director in the timeline in which they occurred. (Representatives for Russell did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR’s request for comment on each of the allegations and incidents described below.)
What has David O. Russell been accused of?
In a 2000 interview with Playboy, Clooney discussed his experiences working with Russell on “Three Kings” the previous year. “David is in many ways a genius, although I’ve learned he’s not a genius when it comes to people skills,” he said. He went on to allege that Russell, “yelled and yelled at people all day, from day one.” Clooney claimed tensions finally reached a boiling point when Russell allegedly headbutted him before grabbing him by the throat. Clooney said he too then grabbed Russell by the throat and a friend of his physically took him away. Russell responded to Clooney’s allegations in 2004, saying, “I never physically attacked him. If I ever met him, I’d say, ‘Shut the fuck up, you lying asshole.'” Hollywood Reporter in 2012 that the couple claimed put the argument behind them when they met at a party.
The New York Times reported in 2004 that Russell also allegedly had a heated argument over Jude Law with Christopher Nolan. Law was slated to star in “I Heart Huckabees,” but reportedly planned to quit the project for Nolan’s “Memento.” The Times reported that Russell allegedly put Nolan in a headache and demanded that Nolan drop the actor. Law remained in “I Heart Huckabees”. Representatives for Nolan did not respond to POPSUGAR’s request for comment on the incident.
That same year, a video went viral from the filming of the aforementioned project, “I Heart Huckabees,” which appeared to show Russell yelling at actor Lily Tomlin. Russell told The New York Times in 2004, “Of course, I wish I hadn’t done that. But Lily and I are fine.” In 2011, Tomlin told Movieline that she and Russell were friends and after the disagreement they soon resumed filming. “David is a very mercurial person, and that’s part of why he’s so brilliant,” she said in part. She also said at the time that she would work with the director again.
Fast forward a few years: actor Paul Reubens claimed to SXSW in 2011 that Russell yelled at him on the first day of filming a movie called “Nailed.” “My first day in the movie, he was screaming at me at the top of his voice. I couldn’t believe it. I was sitting there, and he was swearing and screaming from the first take,” he said.
However, the allegations regarding Russell go beyond on-set interactions.
In 2012, Russell’s niece, Nicole Peloquin, filed a police report alleging he sexually assaulted her while they were training at a gym in Florida. She was 19 at the time. According to the police report, obtained by The Smoking Gun, Peloquin alleged that Russell fondled her breasts. In response, the manager told police that Péloquin was “acting very provocatively towards him” and asked “if he could help with some abdominal exercises.” Russell told police he asked Peloquin about the breast enhancements she had done and transitioning (Peloquin is transgender). No arrests have been made, although a sheriff’s spokesperson told The Smoking Gun at the time that Peloquin could file charges through the state’s attorney’s office. At the time, Russell’s spokesperson said in a statement, “David O. Russell categorically denies any wrongdoing and has fully cooperated with authorities.” POPSUGAR couldn’t find his niece’s contact details.
The incident didn’t end the allegations about Russell, unfortunately.
Two years later, when the widely reported Sony hack happened in 2014 – leaked emails from high-level company employees – messages about Russell’s alleged actions towards Adams during filming from “American Hustle” were included. “His abuse and crazy behavior [sic] are extreme even by Hollywood standards,” one email said. Adams later addressed those claims in an interview with British GQ in 2016 and admitted that Russell made her cry “almost every day”. ” He did it. He was tough on me, that’s for sure. It was a lot,” she said in part.
“Jennifer [Lawrence] don’t take anything. It is Teflon. And I’m not Teflon. But I also don’t like seeing other people being abused, you know what I mean?” Adams told the outlet. She also told GQ that Russell had a lot of “energy” when they worked together on “The Fighter” but that his behavior was different when they went to shoot “American Hustle.” Russell did not respond at the time.
Now, it looks like some of Russell’s alleged misdeeds during filming have been reframed by some. At the September 19 premiere of “Amsterdam,” Ben Stiller led a Q&A with select cast and Russell. According to Variety, Stiller said Russell’s process caused a “kind of intentional chaos” on set. “It’s a very unique experience,” Robbie said during the session. “I think we can all attest to that. It’s not like working with anyone else. Every day you go on set, you don’t know what’s going to happen. Literally, you don’t know what you’re going to shoot that day, which is terrifying and also exhilarating.”
“Amsterdam” hits cinemas nationwide on October 7.
