NEWS'He Was Devastated': Bill Murray 'Couldn't Believe' Movie Production Shut Down After Sexual Assault Allegation, Reveals Costar Aziz Ansari
Production on the movie 'Being Mortal' was shut down after a female assistant claimed Bill Murray sexually assaulted her.
Sept. 3 2025, Published 5:10 p.m. ET
Aziz Ansari is dishing on what it was like to have to stop production on his film Being Mortal due to sexual assault allegations against costar Bill Murray.
In a new interview, the Parks and Recreation alum revealed Murray was "devastated" about the allegations, in which a female production assistant claimed he climbed on top of her in a bed and forcefully kissed her while wearing face masks.
Aziz Ansari's Reaction to Bill Murray's Scandal
Aziz Ansari said Bill Murray was 'devastated' when a production assistant filed a complaint against him.
"He couldn’t believe it happened. I think this movie meant a lot to him," Ansari, 42, spilled to an outlet.
After the woman filed the complaint, an investigation took place, which resulted in Murray, 74, paying the assistant $100K and the flick being shut down.
"Everybody’s texting me, ‘Oh, Aziz, I’m so sorry.' And I said, ‘Oh God, I can’t live in this woe-is-me moment," Ansari said of trying to move on.
What Bill Murray Said About the Situation
The 'Ghostbusters' star insisted his actions were a joke toward someone he thought was a friend.
Despite the ordeal, the Masters of None creator still hopes they can resume filming one day — especially since the Groundhog Day lead insisted it was all a misunderstanding.
"It wasn’t like I touched her. I gave her a kiss through a mask. And she wasn’t a stranger," he told The New York Times, adding he did the same thing to another assistant as a joke.
"We were all stranded in this one room listening to this crazy scene. I dunno what prompted me to do it," he admitted.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
The actor thought his actions were 'funny.'
"I don’t go too many days or weeks without thinking of what happened," Murray stated. "I thought it was funny, and every time it happened, it was funny."
"It was a great disappointment, because I thought I knew someone, and I did not," he noted of the assistant. "I certainly thought it was light. I thought it was funny. To me it’s still funny, the idea that you could give someone a kiss with a mask on. It’s still stupid. It’s all it was."
Murray felt "barbecued" by the drama even though he "tried to make peace" with his accuser.
Richard Dreyfuss Calls Bill Murray a 'Bully'
Richard Dreyfuss once called Murray 'a drunken bully.'
This isn't the only time Murray has found himself in hot water, as What About Bob costar Richard Dreyfuss complained about working with him on the 1991 movie.
"He was an Irish drunken bully, is what he was," Dreyfuss stated in an interview. "He put his face next to me, nose-to-nose and he screamed at the top of his lungs, 'Everyone hates you! You are tolerated!'"
