Bill Murray has recently reflected on the misconduct allegations made against him, which caused the cancellation of his 2022 movie Being Mortal.
In his interview with The New York Times, he admitted that he “doesn’t go too many days or weeks” without being reminded of the incident.
Bill Murray Admits He Still Thinks About His Past Misconduct Allegations on the Set of Being Mortal
Bill Murray revealed what he thought about the complaint he received during the filming of Aziz Ansari’s comedy-drama movie Being Mortal.
“I don’t go too many days or weeks without thinking about what happened on Being Mortal,” he told The New York Times. “I don’t know what prompted me to do it.”
The film, based on a book by Atul Gawande, was supposed to star Ansari and Murray. But sometime during production, it was suspended.
The 74-year-old Ghostbusters actor’s alleged inappropriate behavior was the reason behind the halt, as a complaint was filed in 2022 accusing him of “straddling” and “kissing” a younger production assistant on set.
“I tried to make peace. I thought I was trying to make peace,” said Murray, who later that year reached a $100,000 settlement with the complainant.
The Groundhog Day star explained that both of them were wearing masks as part of COVID safety protocols when he kissed the female crew member without consent.
He added, “It wasn’t like I touched her, but it was just, I gave her a kiss through a mask. And she wasn’t a stranger.”
Murray recalled that he thought his action was funny—and still does. The Golden Globe winner said he had wanted to lighten the mood on set, given the film’s heavier tone.
The film remains indefinitely suspended. Murray said that the incident was “a great disappointment" and it still "bothers him" to this day.
"There was no conversation, there was nothing. There was no peacemaking, nothing. It went to this lunatic arbitration, which, if anyone ever suggests you go to arbitration: Don't do it. Never ever do it. Because you think it's justice, and it isn't."
Keke Palmer, one of the film’s cast members, told Variety that completing Being Mortal without Murray would require a “major rewrite,” though she believes Ansari could still revisit the project in the future.
Bill Murray Criticized for Latest Kissing Scandal Involving Naomi Watts
It seems like Murray has set himself up for another kissing scandal after kissing Naomi Watts on a US talk show.
The actor, who recently talked about learning a lesson from his previous 2022 allegations with The Times, is being criticized again for giving Watts a non-consensual kiss on Watch What Happens Live this week.
Watts was asked in a Q&A session what her favorite on-screen kiss was, and that’s when Murray grabbed Watts and kissed her on the lips.
Murray's co-star in the 2024 movie The Friend was left speechless at first but said, “You’ve got lipstick on your face,” to Murray.
The actor responded with, “That was too easy,” while looking at the camera.
Comments under the YouTube video mostly showed people disturbed and surprised by the scene:
“That was too disgusting to watch,” one person said.
Another commenter wrote, “This is what happens when someone faces no repercussions for their behavior time and time again. They think they can take and do whatever they want.”
“Wow, that’s actually disgusting. Whether she was supposedly okay with it or not, it doesn’t make it better.”
Watts did not show any violent reactions to the scene and proceeded to answer that her best career kiss was with her husband, Billy Crudup.
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