Keke Palmer Breaks Silence Over Bill Murray's 'Being Mortal' Controversy

Keke Palmer opened up about Being Mortal. For the first time since Searchlight Pictures suspended production in April after a complaint was filed about co-star Bill Murray's inappropriate behavior, Palmer touched on her work in Aziz Ansari's directorial debut. With a month of shooting left in the air, Palmer said she was uncertain if Ansari would ever finish the film. "If somebody could figure it out, it would be Aziz," she told Variety's Marc Malkin at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday evening. "Obviously, we got cut short at a certain point, but I will say that I am pretty devastated. It's an amazing film. If there is some way to be able to complete, salvage it, I would want to do it." Despite not addressing Murray's controversy, Palmer alluded to the possibility of the show going on without him. "[Ansari] would probably have to do a major rewrite, but I know what we got was gold."

Following reports that shooting on Murray's film Being Mortal was shut down due to his "inappropriate behavior," a new investigation by independent media outlet Puck recently revealed that the 72-year-old "kissed" and "straddled" a woman on set against her will. Author Eriq Gardner recounted events of and following the incident via "multiple sources" who shared what they witnessed. He described Murray as "particularly friendly" with a female production staffer on set who he believed was flirting with him. Despite withholding her name, Gardner confirmed that the woman was not actress Keke Palmer, as has been rumored. 

The Ghostbusters: Afterlife star sought mediation with the production staffer to resolve the issue. According to sources, Murray and the staffer, who shared Murray's desire to finish the film, settled after some time when the actor paid her approximately $100,000. She agreed to keep the details confidential. Gardner noted that besides a non-disclosure agreement, the woman agreed to waive any legal claims she might have against Searchlight and Disney for producing Being Mortal. "Murray hoped this resolution—including the Disney waiver—would be enough to restart production," the reporter added. "But that hasn't happened for a number of reasons that speak to how Hollywood has changed in the #MeToo era. Being Mortal, which Ansari adapted from Atul Gawande's nonfiction book about end-of-life care and which co-stars Seth Rogen, was about half-shot. Yet it looks like it's headed toward cancellation rather than a reshoot." Searchlight, Disney CEO Bob Chapek, and their aversion towards controversy are currently Ansari's main obstacles, said Gardner.