Amy Pascal
The newest leak in the Sony Pictures hacker debacle is a string of racist emails mocking President Obama between Sony executive Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin—both of whom have subsequently apologized.
In addition, hackers unveiled an email in which Sony executive Clint Culpepper called comedian Kevin Hart a money “whore.”
In the Obama emails, Rudin asked of the president, “Would he like to finance some movies?”
Pascal replied, “I doubt it. Should I ask him if he liked Django?”
To which Rudin responded: “12 Years.”
“Or The Butler. Or Think Like a Man?” Pascal answered back.
Both Rudin and Pascal issued apologies after being savaged in media reports.
“Private emails between friends and colleagues written in haste and without much thought or sensitivity, even when the content of them is meant to be in jest, can result in offense where none was intended,” Rudin told Deadline. “I made a series of remarks that were meant only to be funny, but in the cold light of day, they are in fact thoughtless and insensitive — and not funny at all. To anybody I’ve offended, I’m profoundly and deeply sorry, and I regret and apologize for any injury they might have caused.”
“The content of my emails to Scott were insensitive and inappropriate but are not an accurate reflection of who I am,” Pascal said in her apology. “Although this was a private communication that was stolen, I accept full responsibility for what I wrote and apologize to everyone who was offended.”
Rudin, the only producer to ever win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, is the producer of such Hollywood films as Clueless, Shaft, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Social Network.
Studio executive Culpepper sent several emails to other members of the company complaining that Kevin made $3 million and $4 million respectively for his last two Sony films, but asked for more money when Sony asked him to tweet a plug for Think Like a Man Too.
In response Culpepper wrote:
“It’s not as if we paid him 3M and 4M respectively for his last 2 films thinking he might be nominated. We paid for his ability to open a film which included his social media savvy. I feel like this is something that should be negotiated going into the film as opposed to after the fact. It feels tantamount to buying a car and then upon picking it up being told that the engine will cost extra. I’m tempted to suggest we call his bluff. If he doesn’t do his normal routine, his film will not open as well and his brand will appear diminished and he will—in fact—be f*cking himself because we have his next 2 immediate films.”
“I’m not saying he’s a whore, ” the exec wrote. “But he’s a whore.”
This is only the latest in a string of attacks on Sony by hackers who experts believe are either in North Korea or are working for the North Korean government to stop the release of Sony’s new movie “The Interview.” The comedy follows Seth Rogan and James Franco as they play characters trying to kill North Korea’s leader Kim Jung Un.
The company has been under heavy criticism since emails of this type began to leak. But, despite the attacks, the North Korea movie is set to premiere tomorrow night.
