Sebastian Bear-McClard Has Been Accused of Sexual Misconduct By Multiple Young Actresses
Bear-McClard is the estranged ex-husband of Emily Ratajkowski and frequent collaborator of the Safdie brothers
On Wednesday, Variety exclusively broke the news that the 42-year-old producer Sebastian Bear-McClard has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct on film sets. These allegations have surfaced amidst Bear-McClard’s high-profile split from model and actress Emily Ratajkowski.
Emrata and Sebastian were first spotted together in February 2018 on a Valentine’s Day outing before tying the only weeks later in Bieber fashion. Emily took to her Instagram to announce the marriage, which lasted for four years and resulted in one child, a son, Sylvester Apollo Bear, born in March 2021.
Sources close to Emrata have cited Sebastian’s infidelity as the cause for the breakdown of the marriage, which ended informally in July 2022. Emily formally filed for divorce in Manhattan Supreme Court in September 2022. The statements from the accusers, who remain anonymous, according to the Variety article were made in August.
Bear-McClard has collaborated with the directing duo ‘the Safdie brothers’ aka Josh and Benny Safdie on their films “Good Time” (2017), “Uncut Gems” (2019) and “Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022). According to the explosive Variety article, Bear-McClard reached out to a 17-year-old female on Instagram for a scene in Good Time in early 2016.
“In early 2016, producer Sebastian Bear-McClard reached out to a 17-year-old girl on Instagram — an overture that led to an informal meeting at a Soho loft. Not long after, he let the Safdie brothers know that he had found the perfect person to play a small role in their upcoming film, “Good Time.” The girl, who came from an impoverished background in New York, was excited to meet the film’s star, Robert Pattinson, a then-favorite of teen girls worldwide thanks to the “Twilight” franchise. On the day of filming, she waited all day on the New York set for her scene to be called, unaware of what it entailed. By the time she made her way to a cramped room, she was naked, standing in front of nearly a dozen male cast and crew members including Josh and Benny Safdie. Instead of performing in a scene with Pattinson, she was paired with an actor who had recently been released from prison before being hired for the film.”
via Variety
This individual went on to begin having consensual sex with Bear-McClard, technically legally, as the age of consent in New York is 17.
As for the Safdie brothers, they claim in a statement through their representative that they were unaware of his behaviors and cut ties with Sebastian in July 2022 once they were brought to light. Notable, considering the statements weren’t made by the victims until August.
A second accuser who was 18 on the set of “Uncut Gems” claims that Bear-McClard, who was married at the time, began grooming her by making grandiose career promises through Instagram DMs. In her statement, which was obtained by Variety, she describes a harrowing sexual assault that took place at the apartment Bear-McClard shared with Ratajkowski.
She further described more disgusting behavior including Bear-McClard calling her anti-semitic and ableist slurs, which he wrote off as a joke, and tracking her location. The 18-year-old also claims to have caught Bear-McClard messaging a 15-year-old girl on Instagram, who had visited the set, which is supported by other statements obtained by Variety.
Emrata has not yet issued a statement, but sources close to her say she is not surprised. Meanwhile, this raises major concerns for A24, the New York-based production house behind “Everything Everywhere All at Once” which just swept award season. This also comes on the heels of Jonathan Majors’ arrest over the weekend, for which he was formally charged on Monday, March 27 with several counts of assault and harassment of his girlfriend.
Six years removed from the reckoning of the #MeToo movement, production houses are still prioritizing notoriety and awards over the safety and dignity of women of all ages. Predators aren’t always decrepit trolls like Harvey Weinstein and they don’t always use magic pills like Bill Cosby. Sometimes, they’re even married to the supermodel you can’t get your boyfriend to unfollow on Instagram.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual violence, call RAINN, the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline: 800.566.HOPEE(4673).