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Director and screenwriter David O. Russell found himself in hot water during his recent film shoot. According to an exclusive report by TMZ, published on May 21, 2025, he allegedly used the N-word during the production of his film, Madden.
This eventually led to a supporting actor's exit from the production mid-way on May 16, 2025. It has been two weeks since the production for Madden began. Besides the alleged N-word usage, there were conditions of being unclothed that might have led to the actor’s departure.
At the time of the incident, David O. Russell was working with the actor on a monologue, during which he allegedly used the N-word. This led to the actor and others exiting the set, and the shooting had to be wrapped up.
According to IMDB, Russell was born in 1958 in New York City. He is well-known for his works like Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter, Joy, etc. His nominations include Academy and Golden Globe awards.
Besides that, he is also a recipient of the BAFTA and Independent Spirit Awards. His first feature film, Spanking the Monkey, came out in 1994.
However, as per sources from Amazon Studios, using the N-word in the scene was the idea of the supporting actor. The decision came about following a discussion with the director.
They also rejected the allegations, saying that David O. Russell did not use the word while working on the scene. What might have disappointed the actor is unknown to them.
More about the incident on the sets of Madden and Julia Stiles’ statement about David O. Russell
Madden has a stellar cast, including Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale. The media outlet reported that even these actors had issues with David O. Russell. Cast members mentioned that the supporting actor was asked to be unclothed for a certain locker room scene, which he disagreed.
TMZ noted that sources close to the studio had a different version of the story. According to them, the intimacy coordinator ensured the actor was comfortable with the scene. Despite that, he seemed to have a problem and was ultimately asked not to be a part of the scene.
Moreover, sources mentioned that the conditions of being undressed for the required scenes were intimated well in advance to every actor.
In other news, actress Julia Stiles opened up about her experiences of working with David O. Russell. She acted in Silver Linings Playbook in 2012. However, in a recent interview with The Times, she said:
“I had a hard time with David O Russell. His style is very challenging, but I did learn a lot from him and he does make good movies.”
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Previously, Russell had fallouts with actors like George Clooney. With Clooney, he allegedly argued in Three Kings. The ER actor later accused Russell of head-butting and verbally attacking him, and even said years later in 2004 that he would punch Russell if he ever saw him again.
According to The Independent, David O. Russell denied physically attacking Clooney and responded with strong language. In another reported incident from 2003, Russell allegedly got into a confrontation with director Christopher Nolan at a party, where he was said to have put Nolan in a headlock.
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