Amazon MGM has responded to a lawsuit involving the showrunner of Criminal. The lawsuit includes allegations of racial, sexual, and religious harassment. Now, the studio and other defendants have challenged the claims in court.
According to Varietyformer Criminal production assistant Ijaaz Noohu filed a lawsuit against showrunner Ed Brubaker and other defendants. Noohu alleges that he experienced racial, sexual, and religious harassment while working on the Prime Video series. Amazon MGM and the other defendants have filed a demurrer seeking to dismiss the lawsuit.
Noohu’s lawsuit also names Big Indie Pictures, Big Indie Gemini, and executive producer Philipp Barnett. He alleges that Brubaker made inappropriate comments about his appearance and personal life, used racial stereotypes, and questioned him about his religious beliefs.
The lawsuit further states that the production companies failed to address the alleged behavior properly. Noohu also claims that the production companies ended his employment after he sought a promotion and later barred him from the set.
What else did Amazon MGM’s lawyers say about the Criminal lawsuit situation?
Amazon MGM’s lawyers have disputed Noohu’s allegations in their court filing. The defense specifically disputed his claim that Brubaker pointed a functional firearm at his face and pulled the trigger during production. The lawyers described the allegation as “pure invention” and argued that such an incident would have been reported at the time.
The defense also pointed to Noohu’s communications while he was working on Criminal. According to Variety, the demurrer describes Noohu as “an opportunist, not a victim” and disputes the allegations. The filing cites a 2024 email in which Noohu pitched himself for a promotion to executive producer. He reportedly said the promotion would “make the show better.”
Amazon’s lawyers also argued that Noohu’s communications from that period did not mention harassment or discrimination. The defense is asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit. Noohu’s allegations remain disputed, and the court has not yet issued a final ruling on the claims.