Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Friday, December 13, 2024 81° Today's Paper


News

Brett Ratner drops defamation lawsuit against rape accuser Melanie Kohler

ASSOCIATED PRESS / 2017

Brett Ratner arrives at the Wolfgang Puck’s Post-Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony Celebration at Spago in 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Director Brett Ratner has reportedly dropped his defamation lawsuit against Melanie Kohler, who publicly accused him of raping her, because of Kohler’s “cloudy and unclear” account of the alleged assault.

In a Facebook post last fall, Kohler accused the “Rush Hour” director of raping her more than a decade ago — an account that came just days before The Times published allegations made by six other women accusing the producer of sexual misconduct.

Ratner then sued the former marketing executive for defamation in federal court in Hawaii.

Today, attorneys for the parties issued statements to Deadline signaling an end to the legal battle.

“I have been honored to represent Melanie Kohler and we are pleased that Mr. Ratner agreed to dismiss this case,” Kohler’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said in a statement.

“Cases like this are very difficult, especially when the events happened more than a decade ago and memories are cloudy and unclear,” Kaplan added. “The public conversation about this case has become very painful for Melanie. This result will allow Melanie to move on with her life and spend more time with her family.”

Ratner’s attorney, Martin Singer, built on that in his statement to Deadline.

“Since Ms. Kohler’s attorney has stated that her client’s memories are cloudy and unclear about alleged events from more than a decade ago, Mr. Ratner agreed to dismiss his lawsuit,” Singer said.

Kaplan and Singer did not immediately respond to The Times’ requests for comment today.

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines. Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.