Critically acclaimed writer and director Cary Fukunaga, who has worked on a slew of films and projects, including No Time To Die, IT, and Maniac, has been accused by multiple women of crossing professional boundaries and crude on-set behavior. Nearly a dozen sourcse have been cited in a new Rolling Stone report about his abuse of power, and generally creepy behavior towards young women.
One of the most revealing stories comes from actress Rachelle Vinberg, who met Fukunaga on a set the day after she turned 18. The two sparked up a friendship that eventually became sexual. Fukunaga would have been in his late thirties. “I spent years being scared of him,” Vinberg wrote on Instagram earlier this month. “Mans is a groomer and has been doing this shit for years. Beware women.” Vineberg opened up about her PTSD diagnosis that was triggered by the relationship.
Vinberg starred in HBO’s series Betty about a young group of women who try to make it in the male-dominated skating world (similar to Hollywood, right?). She called out Fukunaga on Instagram after he allegedly posted a story alluding to being a feminist. “Funny how there’s people out there who pose as activists [for] women,” Vinberg said in an Instagram post. “Guys who are the sh*ttiest f*cking individuals in the world and all they do [is] traumatize women.” The stories are still up on Vinberg’s Instagram highlights.
Fukunaga also allegedly loved giving girls tattoos to “mark” them. Vinberg said in an Instagram post, “He gave me this tattoo when I was 18 years old, and it’s something he likes to do to girls. It’s like his way of marking women. It’s bizarre.”
After Vinberg’s story went public, Hanah and Cailin Loesch, twins who worked with Fukunaga when they were 20, posted a statement about their experience with the director, who allegedly tried to pursue them sexually. They clarified that they were never assaulted, but were made uncomfortable.
“Back at home, we all slipped into the family’s hot tub, where he asked us if we were virgins, and what our thoughts on threesomes are,” the statement said, “When we told him that we would never participate in one, he reminded us that they ‘do them in pornos all the time,’ and even suggested incest is fine ‘if all parties are okay with it.’” Several actresses, including Margaret Qualley, who reportedly dated Fukunaga in 2017, liked the post. Qualley would have been 21 at the time of their relationship, while Fukunaga was 39.
Even Fukunaga’s former writing partner, Nick Cuse, who worked on both No Time To Die and Maniac with Fukunaga, wrote in an Instagram story that Fukunaga is the “worst human being I have ever met in my life,” adding that the way Fukunaga treats non-celebrities “is horrible. I once saw him dump his cut fingernails in another person’s car.”
in case anyone didn’t see this, writer/producer nick cuse has spoken out in support of the victims of cary fukunaga and shared his own experience of being manipulated into having his work stolen by cary, who he describes as a “vile cult leader” pic.twitter.com/buZw001ZZK
— carey (@brokebackstan) May 14, 2022
Multiple other young women, who remained anonymous for fear of backlash, spoke to Roling Stone making accusations of abusive behavior. “I remember feeling so good to be away from him, like this heavy weight on my shoulder was lifted and [I could] breathe again. He made me feel so claustrophobic and suffocating,” one said.
Fukunaga’s lawyer denied all the claims of misconduct to Rolling Stone, insisting that the director “has befriended men and women, young and old,” on set. The director has yet to comment on the allegations.