Scott Rudin Says He Will Take 'Step Back' from Broadway Productions amid Allegations of Abusive Behavior

Dave Allocca/Starpix/Shutterstock Scott Rudin

Scott Rudin has announced that he will "step back" from his Broadway productions after The Hollywood Reporter published a report of his alleged abusive behavior.

The 17-time Tony winner, 62, broke his silence on Saturday, sharing a statement with The Washington Post and Associated Press. "Much has been written about my history of troubling interactions with colleagues, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior caused to individuals, directly and indirectly," Rudin said in a statement.

"After a period of reflection, I've made the decision to step back from active participation on our Broadway productions, effective immediately," he continued. "My roles will be filled by others from the Broadway community and in a number of cases, from the roster of participants already in place on those shows."

Rudin, a Hollywood film producer known for No Country For Old Men and The Social Network, concluded, "My passionate hope and expectation is that Broadway will reopen successfully very soon, and that the many talented artists associated with it will once again begin to thrive and share their artistry with the world. I do not want any controversy associated with me to interrupt Broadway's well deserved return, or specifically, the return of the 1500 people working on these shows."

A rep for Rudin did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

RELATED: Hollywood and Broadway Producer Scott Rudin Accused of 'Horrific' Abuse Behavior by Former Employees

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In THR's article, several of Rudin's former employees came forward with numerous accounts of violent outbursts. No charges are known to be filed against the producer.

Rudin's statement to the Post also comes after several conference calls took place to discuss his involvement in the upcoming revival of The Music Man, which he was set to produce, according to THR, which reported that star Hugh Jackman was "very concerned" and his costar Sutton Foster went as far as threatening to leave the production if Rudin "didn't take a seat."

Karen Olivo previously stepped down from her starring role as Satine in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, ahead of its return to Broadway, in protest of Rudin's behavior. "For all of ya'll who don't hear me, the silence about Scott Rudin – unacceptable. Unacceptable," Olivo said on Instagram Live after the THR story went live. "That's the easy one, ya'll. That's a monster… What is your integrity saying you should do? You going to protect your pocket book and let people go to the emergency room, so you can go to your next concert?"

The THR article also alleged that Rudin smashed an Apple computer monitor on a former assistant's hand in October 2012, according to two people in the office who were present at the time of the incident. The outlet reported that the assistant was left bleeding and had to be treated in the emergency room.

Matthew Murphy 2019

Ryan Nelson, who was Rudin's assistant in 2018 and 2019, recalled the producer throwing a stapler at a theater assistant's head and calling him a "retard."

"He threw a laptop at the window in the conference room and then went into the kitchen and we could hear him beating on the napkin dispenser," said Caroline Rugo, who was an executive coordinator at Scott Rudin Productions in 2018. "Then another time he threw a glass bowl at [a colleague]. It's hard to say if he threw it in the general direction or specifically at [the colleague], but the glass bowl hit the wall and smashed everywhere. The HR person left in an ambulance due to a panic attack. That was the environment."