Amy Adams was reportedly abused by director David O. Russell on the set of American Hustle while the 2013 movie was being filmed.
Radar Online reports that a leaked email claims that the Oscar-nominated actress was subjected to the abuse as part of David O. Russell’s alleged “lunatic behavior” which left the crew and cast frightened.
According to the report, the email was sent by Jonathan Atler directly to Michael Lynton, the chairman of Sony Pictures.
Atler is not only a close friend of Michael Lynton’s but also known as a veteran journalist and producer of the hit Amazon series Alpha House.
“I know [David O. Russell is] brilliant but we have someone on our show who worked closely with him on American Hustle . And not only are the stories about him reforming himself total bullsh-t but the new stories of his abuse and lunatic behavior are extreme.”
Within the content of the email, Atler discusses what allegedly took place on the American Hustle set — including the abuse of Amy Adams as well as how Oscar-winner Christian Bale was able to defend her.
“[Russell] grabbed one guy by the collar, cursed out people repeatedly in front of others and so abused Amy Adams that Christian Bale got in his face and told him to stop acting like an a**hole. He treated the crew like s**t, demanded his own bathroom at all times and frightened people.”
Atler further mentions in the email that his frightening behavior was similar to how he infamously acted while filming the 1999 war comedy film Three Kings .
When Chairman Lynton replied to Atler’s concerns by stating he was not sure exactly what Atler was asking, his close friend responded by stating that he was not asking for anything.
According to the report, Atler simply wanted to make sure that Lynton was made aware of Russell’s behavior if he was “considering signing him for another film.”
In a separate email thread leaked by the hackers, a conversation between another Sony executive and Amy Pascal (co-chair of Sony Pictures) revealed that the two were making fun of a 2011 incident in which David O. Russell allegedly groped his teenage transgendered niece.
The hackers that leaked the email also threatened terror attacks unless Sony decided to cancel the Christmas Day release of the controversial film The Interview , starring James Franco and Seth Rogen.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , Sony Pictures decided to cancel the release on Wednesday for the “safety of employees and theater-goers” alike.
Amy Adams played the role of con artist Sydney Prosser in the Oscar-nominated film — which also starred Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. For her performance, Amy Adams received a Golden Globe Award in addition to her fifth Oscar nomination.
Filming American Hustle placed Amy Adams and David O. Russell on the set for the second time.
Adams was also featured in the 2010 David O. Russell-directed film The Fighter alongside Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale.
[Image Credit: ABC News & Entertainment Weekly]