ABC/Randy HolmesLast month, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Jared Leto was set to star as Hugh Hefner in a biopic about the late Playboy founder, directed by Brett Ratner. Now, following allegations of sexual misconduct against Ratner, the actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman has distanced himself from the project, with a rep saying he never intended to star in the film in the first place.
"Jared Leto is not and was not attached to a Brett Ratner-directed Hugh Hefner film, nor will he be working with him in the future," the rep told Deadline. "Earlier reports were incorrect and not confirmed by his representatives."
In the original THR article, Ratner called Leto an "old friend." "When [Leto] heard I got the rights to Hef's story, he told me, 'I want to play him. I want to understand him,'" Ratner said.
In a The Los Angeles Times feature article posted Wednesday, six actresses, including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, accuse Ratner of making inappropriate sexual overtures to them, including allegedly forcing Hentsridge to perform oral sex. Through his attorney, Ratner has denied the allegations.
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