Keke Palmer says she is ‘pretty devastated’ after Being Mortal shut down amid Bill Murray allegations
‘I am pretty devastated. It’s an amazing film,’ actor said of scrapped project
Keke Palmer has spoken out after her film Being Mortal was shut down amid allegations against her co-star, Bill Murray.
In April, Searchlight Pictures suspended production on the film after Murray was accused of “inappropriate behaviour”.
The film, which was Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut, is based on surgeon Atul Gawande’s 2014 book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Ansari also wrote the film and was set to co-star alongside Murray, Palmer and Seth Rogen.
Since the sudden end of production, no further work has taken place on Being Mortal and it is currently unclear as to whether it will ever be completed.
In a recent interview, Palmer shared her thoughts about the scrapped project and expressed her hope that Ansari could find a way to make it work.
“If somebody could figure it out, it would be Aziz,” she told reporters at Variety.
“Obviously, we got cut short at a certain point but I will say that I am pretty devastated. It’s an amazing film. If there is some way to be able to complete, salvage it, I would want to do it.”
Though Palmer didn’t address the reports relating directly to Murray, she continued by stating that any continuation of the film would most likely have to come after a “major rewrite” by Ansari.
“[Ansari] would probably have to do a major rewrite, but I know what we got was gold,” she added.
Last week, a report by Puck writer Eriq Gardner provided details on some of the alleged misdeeds on set, including unwanted straddling and kissing.
Gardner writes: “This much younger woman, Murray felt, had been flirting with him. So at one moment when the two were in close proximity near a bed that was part of the production, Murray started kissing her body and straddling her.
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“It was perhaps an unclear bit of physical comedy, but one that was unannounced. She couldn’t move because he outweighed her, she alleged. Then, he kissed her on the mouth, although when he did so, both Murray and the woman were wearing masks, owing to Covid protocols. Murray later said that he was just being jestful…”
According to the report, the woman made a complaint before entering into mediation with Murray. Eventually, she is reported to have settled the case for just over $100,000 (£90,533).
At the time, Murray said in an interview: “I did something I thought was funny and it wasn’t taken that way...
“As of now we’re talking and we’re trying to make peace with each other. We’re both professionals. We like each other’s work – we like each other, I think.
“If we can’t get along and trust each other, there’s no point in going further working together or making a movie… It’s been quite an education for me. I’ve been doing not much else but thinking about her for the last week or two.”
The Independent contacted the woman’s lawyer and Murray’s representative for comment.