Bill Murray Being Canceled For Bad On-Set Behavior?
Bill Murray allegedly straddled and kissed a younger female staffer on the set of a movie.
This article is more than 2 years old
Earlier this year, troubling news emerged from the set of Being Mortal. Production on the movie had been put on hold because of a complaint. The grievance involved Bill Murray who didn’t go into specifics about being canceled at the time. But the actor later categorized it as a difference of opinion with a woman on the set. “I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn’t taken that way,” the actor said via Deadline. According to Puck, the Ghostbusters star allegedly straddled and kissed (via masks) a much younger female production staffer.
While the actor may have thought he was being funny, the woman interpreted his actions as entirely sexual and was horrified by what he’d done. Following the incident, she filed an official complaint and was awarded over $100,000. The film was about 50% complete at the time. While it’s currently listed as suspended, it seems like Bill Murray and the movie may be canceled.
Details of the incident involving the 72-year-old were revealed days after Geena Davis released her new memoir, Dying of Politeness in which she details her experience filming the 1990 bank robbery comedy Quick Change with Bill Murray, who is close to being canceled. Speaking to The Times (UK), the Beetlejuice alum said problems began when she first met him in a hotel suite.
Bill Murray insisted on greeting her with a massage device called The Thumper – a move that would lead to him being canceled in today’s environment. Although she emphatically refused, he did it anyway. The actress added, that while filming on location, he also screamed at her in her trailer for being late, even though she told him she was waiting for her wardrobe to arrive. While she hurried to set, he kept screaming at her in front of hundreds of people, including the cast, crew, and passersbys.
“That was bad,” Gina Davis told the publication. She added that after the way Bill Murray behaved at the first meeting she should have walked out, or profoundly defended herself. However, she notes that if she did, she wouldn’t have got the part. “I could have avoided that treatment if I’d known how to react or what to do during the audition,” she explained. “But, you know, I was so non-confrontational that I just didn’t.”
While Bill Murray has yet to respond to Geena Davis’ cancel-inducing claims, he has candidly spoken about the incident on the set of Being Mortal. The actor never denied the charges, but he did chalk it up to a misunderstanding. Sitting down with CNBC at the 2022 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting today, the comedian revealed his thoughts to Becky Quick, saying the world is different than it was when he was a little kid.
Bill Murray explained that in today’s world of cancel culture, things he always thought were funny as a little kid aren’t necessarily the same as what’s funny now. “Things change and the times change, so it’s important for me to figure it out,” he said. “I think the most important thing is that it’s best for the other person. I thought about it, and if it’s not best for the other person, doesn’t matter what happens to me.”
Bill Murray also admitted that he’s trying to learn from what happened to avoid being canceled. “I think that’s a really sad puppy that can’t learn anymore. I don’t want to be that sad dog and I have no intention of it,” he continued. The actor added that nothing would make him happier than going back to work in an environment where everyone trusts each other.
