While Rebecca Romijn initially did not address X-Men directors Brett Ratner and Bryan Singer’s respective misconduct scandals, she is no longer staying silent.
“I haven’t spoken up about anything with regard to #MeToo, because I had two major issues with two directors I’ve worked with — and both of them already got theirs, one of them being Brett Ratner,” Romijn, 50, told The Independent in a Wednesday, July 5 profile. “I didn’t feel like I needed to say anything. I know the two people that I worked with had it coming, and they got theirs. I’m not gonna … I don’t need to say anything else.”
Romijn played Mystique in the OG X-Men franchise, with Singer, 57, helming four of the films. Singer was accused of drug abuse and sexual misconduct in 2014 by cast members of X-Men: Days of Future Past. The filmmaker denied the claims in a statement, calling the allegations “outrageous, vicious and completely false.” Romijn, for her part, aimed to keep the scandal out of her opinions on his professional career.
“He’s a fantastic filmmaker, you know? It was amazing watching him work. And you have to decide if you want to try and separate those two things,” Romijn told the U.K. newspaper, noting that she is aware that Singer has dealt with “his fair share of stuff” and scandals. “I know that the other cast confronted him about things. But I was not a part of that. I wasn’t there for it, so I can’t really speak to it.”
After Singer was ousted ahead of 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, Ratner, 54, took over in his place. Multiple individuals — including Olivia Munn and Elliot Page — came forward in 2017, accusing Ratner of sexual assault and harassment during production eight years earlier. Ratner “categorically” denied the claims at the time.
Romijn — who married Jerry O’Connell in 2007, with whom she shares 13-year-old twin daughters — further recalled the movie’s on-set “drama” in her Wednesday interview.
“There was drama on set, and I witnessed it and I heard a lot about it. And he sometimes didn’t come in prepared,” the Ugly Betty alum alleged. “But he would show up and, without any preparation whatsoever, direct the most awesome scene that he was able to put together because he’s such a good filmmaker.”
While Romijn admittedly doesn’t want to “throw anyone under the bus,” she was willing to make an exception for Ratner. “I was not happy working with him,” Romijn claimed. “But he’s been canceled.”
