LOS ANGELES: The Hollywood sexual harassment saga just expanded further with six women, including actors Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, accusing director Brett Ratner of sexual misconduct.
Among the women who have come forward with their stories is "Species" actor Henstridge who has accused Ratner of forcing her to perform oral sex on him in his New York apartment, reported the Los Angeles Times.
Henstridge, then a 19-year-old model, had fallen asleep in Ratner's apartment after hanging out with the then-music video director.
After she woke up, Ratner blocked the exit and then forced her to perform oral sex on him.
"He strong-armed me in a real way. He physically forced himself on me. At some point, I gave in and he did his thing," Henstridge said.
Munn has claimed that Ratner sexually harassed her when she went to deliver a meal to him in his trailer during her visit to the sets of "After the Sunset".
Munn later had verbal duels with Ratner after he claimed during a 2011 TV appearance to have slept with her. However, he apologised to her later for making that statement during an appearance on Howard Stern's radio show.
"It feels as if I keep going up against the same bully at school who just won't quit. You just hope that enough people believe the truth and for enough time to pass so that you can't be connected to him anymore," Munn said.
Actor Katherine Towne described a meeting with Ratner at a party where he allegedly aggressively approached her and followed her into a bathroom.
The actor recalled giving her number to Ratner hoping to placate him, only for his assistant to call her for months trying to set up a date.
Similar incidents were witnessed by actors Jamie Ray Newman, Eri Sasaki, and Jorina King, who described their own run-ins with Ratner to the Times.
Ratner has denied the allegations against him through his attorney Martin Singer, who dismissed the accounts of Henstridge and the other five women.
"I have represented Mr Ratner for two decades, and no woman has ever made a claim against him for sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. Furthermore, no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from my client," Singer wrote to The Times.
"Wonder Woman" actor Gal Gadot had a few days ago opted out of attending an award function honouring Ratner. Director Patty Jenkins later filled in for Gadot.