Bradley Cooper, the director, producer, writer, and lead actor in the upcoming “A Star Is Born” remake, spoke for the first time about the sexual harassment allegations against one-time producer Jon Peters. Peters, who produced the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand, has been accused by numerous women of harassment in cases ranging from 1996 to 2008.
Cooper said although he needed Peters’ permission to remake the film, he was not aware of the allegations against him.
“Luckily, Jon wasn’t there [on set]. And if I had known all those things, I would have done it differently,” Cooper told NPR. “I wanted to make the movie, I knew I had to get consent from him, otherwise there’s no film. But I should have checked. I guess that’s the thing.”
The actor went on to say that he created a safe environment on set, and Peters was involved due to a “grandfather clause of the movie.”
Bill Gerber, another producer on “A Star Is Born,” has said Peters made a significant contribution in getting the film made. “There were a lot of complicated deals on ‘A Star Is Born,’ a lot of heavy-hitters,” he told the Hollywood Reporter in 2017. “And Jon could not have been more helpful in getting it all in line.”
Peters is given the second producing credit in Warner’s official press materials for the film after Gerber and before Cooper, Todd Phillips, and Lynette Howell Taylor. The film is identified as “A Jon Peters/Bill Gerber/Joint Effort Production.”
A Producers Guild of America spokesperson disclosed that Peters is not part of the certified producing team for the new “A Star Is Born,” and he will also likely be ineligible for an Academy Award if the film nabs best picture, as the Motion Picture Academy uses PGA determination as a recommendation. The development came in the wake of Jezebel’s report of the sexual harassment cases against Peters. Warner Bros. said in a statement on Tuesday that it will still name Peters as a producer to “honor the contractual obligation in order to make this film.” Warner Bros. will release the Cooper-Lady Gaga drama on Oct. 5.
At least five sexual assault allegations have been made against Peters, who also has producer credits on “Caddyshack,” “The Color Purple,” “Batman,” and 2006’s “Superman Returns.”
