lawsuits

Brett Ratner Sues Woman for Libel Over Rape Claim

Brett Ratner. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

After six women accused him of sexual misconduct in the Los Angeles Times, producer-director Brett Ratner is taking legal action. Ratner has filed a defamation suit in Hawaii federal court against a separate woman, not included in the report, who called him a rapist on Facebook. In a post dated October 20 — about two weeks before the Times story broke — Melanie Kohler alleged that Ratner raped her, saying that he “was a rapist on at least one night in Hollywood about 12 years ago,” and that he “preyed on [her] as a drunk girl and forced himself upon me.” In the filing, Ratner says Kohler intentionally and maliciously lied, and he is seeking general, special, and punitive damages because the allegations have hurt his reputation and caused him personal distress.

Brett Ratner Sues Woman for Libel Over Rape Claim