- Primary Subject: The Safdie Brothers Split (Josh and Benny Safdie)
- Key Update: Following their 2024 split, the duo’s creative divide has peaked at the 2026 Oscars, where Josh’s Marty Supreme earned nine nominations while Benny’s The Smashing Machine was largely shut out.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: January 28, 2026
- Quick Answer: The Safdie brothers split in 2024 due to creative differences and long-standing tensions, reportedly exacerbated by controversies surrounding past productions and their former producing partner.
Once hailed as one of the most influential creative duos in American filmmaking, the Safdie Brothers, Joshua “Josh” Safdie and Benjamin “Benny” Safdie, have officially parted ways for a shocking reason.
Known for their critically acclaimed films Good Time and Uncut Gems, the brothers emerged as some of the hottest indie directors of the 2010s, praised for their bold storytelling and daring vision. However, everything changed with their split in 2024.
The divide even widened after Josh received four nominations for his film Marty Supreme at the 2026 Oscars, while Benny’s The Smashing Machine went unnoticed. Speculation about the end of their partnership swirled for months, and now the true reason behind their separation has finally been revealed.
What Led to the Safdie Brothers Split?
Josh and Benny Safdie’s split wasn’t just a simple disagreement; it stemmed from a controversial incident during the production of their 2017 breakout film Good Time.
According to Page Six, Benny decided to end the partnership after learning that a 17-year-old girl was cast as a prostitute and filmed a scene involving “nudity and simulated sex” with actor Buddy Duress, despite her being underage.
The Safdies often paired professional actors with non-actors, as they did with Duress and lead Robert Pattinson. At the time, Duress had recently been released from prison with a history of drug charges, weapons violations, and theft.
The situation worsened when Duress, reportedly high, exposed himself and made inappropriate advances toward the teenage actress while filming.
Josh, who was directing, allegedly allowed the scene to continue, while Benny and the crew observed from the sidelines. Sources say Josh only learned the actress’s true age after the scene was shot.
Screen Actors Guild rules strictly forbid minors in nudity or sex scenes. Though the scene was ultimately cut for “creative reasons” before its world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, former producing partner Sebastian “Sebo” Bear-McClard threatened to reveal the incident.
Bear-McClard had also caused tensions on Uncut Gems due to an affair with a cast member, further straining the Safdies’ collaboration.
Benny’s discovery of the actress’s age in 2022 deepened the rift between him and Josh, who blamed Bear-McClard for the casting, while Bear-McClard insisted it wasn’t his responsibility to check.
He wasn’t present during the incident, but the fallout contributed to the brothers eventually severing ties with him.
Even before formally ending their partnership, tensions between Josh and Benny were already high.
When Did the Safdie Brothers End Their Partnership?
The Safdie brothers continued working in early 2023 on the Netflix Adam Sandler movie Uncut Gems.
However, in the same year, Bear-McClard exposed the incident involving the underage actress from Good Time, amid the drama of his divorce from Emily Ratajkowski.
This revelation was the final straw for Benny, who ultimately ended his creative partnership with Josh.
As a result, the Netflix project was canceled, and the brothers went their separate ways. Josh went on to direct Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme, while Benny directed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in The Smashing Machine.
Marty Supreme went on to receive nine Oscar nominations, while The Smashing Machine earned none, further intensifying the tension between the two.
Despite the controversies, Josh continued working in his signature risky style, such as hiring a young actor for Jay-Z’s “Our Block” music video, letting him work past 1 am on a rooftop despite exhaustion, and facing on-set threats, including one from a background actor referencing a 30-year jail sentence to Chalamet. Yet, the Academy still recognized his daring approach.
For Benny, many hope that his adherence to rules and ethical standards will eventually be rewarded.
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