Angelina Jolie branded 'minimally talented spoiled brat' in private emails leaked in Sony cyber attack
The discussion, which dated back to February, seemed to be related to the doomed upcoming Steve Jobs biopic that has since moved to Universal
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.That awkward moment when your email rant about one of the most famous actresses in the world is leaked to the international press by cyber attackers.
That’s exactly what happened to Sony Pictures co-chairperson Amy Pascal and movie producer Scott Rudin when their thread bemoaning Angelina Jolie became the latest targets of the mass computer hack that has plagued the lives of Sony employees for the past two weeks.
In the conversations, published by Gawker yesterday, Rudin went as far as to label the UN Ambassador a “minimally talented spoiled brat”.
The discussion, which dated back to February, seemed to be related to the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic – the doomed movie originally intended for Sony Pictures but now moved to Universal Pictures. At the time, David Fincher was still attached to the Aaron Sorkin-penned film, and, according to the email exchange, Jolie apparently wanted Fincher to leave the project and direct her film Cleopatra instead.
“She is upset about us giving David Jobs. She wants to talk,” Pascal apparently wrote to Rudin.
“She'll survive it,” Rudin allegedly replied. “I don't want to waste my time on this.”
“YOU BETTER SHUT ANGIE DOWN BEFORE SHE MAKES IT VERY HARD FOR DAVID TO DO JOBS,” he reportedly added in another email.
Just to further add to his embarrassment, an email purportedly written by Rudin demolished the very idea of a Cleopatra movie, saying he had expressed “zero appetite for the indulgence of spoiled brats”.
“I've told you exactly how I want to do this material. It's the ONLY way I want to do this material. I'm not remotely interested in presiding over a $180m ego bath that we both know will be the career-defining debacle for us both,” the email continued to read.
“I'm not destroying my career over a minimally talented spoiled brat who thought nothing of shoving this off her plate for eighteen months so she could go direct a movie. I have no desire to be making a movie with her, or anybody, that she runs and that we don't.
“She's a camp event and a celebrity and that's all and the last thing anybody needs is to make a giant bomb with her that any fool could see coming. We will end up being the laughing stock of our industry and we will deserve it, which is so clearly where this is headed that I cannot believe we are still wasting our time with it.”
Rudin also criticised Pascal, saying: “You've destroyed your relationships with half the town over how you've behaved on this movie.”
Sony representatives are yet to respond to the latest leak.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments