Amazon faces harassment lawsuit from criminal showrunner
The high-stakes world of streaming production is sometimes complicated by very human conflicts, and a recent legal challenge involving Criminal has brought this tension into sharp focus. Former production assistant Ijaaz Noohu filed a lawsuit against showrunner Ed Brubaker and other parties, alleging a pattern of harassment.
Noohu claims he endured racial, sexual, and religious harassment while working on the Prime Video series. His allegations suggest that Brubaker made inappropriate comments regarding his appearance and personal life, deployed racial stereotypes, and questioned him about his religious beliefs. Furthermore, Noohu contends that when he sought a promotion and subsequently faced obstacles, the production companies failed to address the alleged behavior, ultimately barring him from the set.
The defendants in the lawsuit included Brubaker, Big Indie Pictures, Big Indie Gemini, and executive producer Philipp Barnett. This legal battle touched upon serious accusations regarding workplace conduct and power dynamics within the creative sphere.
In response to these serious claims, Amazon MGM and the other defendants immediately challenged the allegations in court. Their legal team mounted a robust defense, disputing several core elements of Noohu’s story.
For instance, the defense strongly disputed the most dramatic claim, asserting that Brubaker never pointed a functional firearm at Noohu or pulled the trigger during production. The legal team characterized this specific allegation as pure invention, arguing that such an event would have been documented and reported at the time.
The defense further presented evidence focused on Noohu’s communications while he was employed. They suggested that the account presented by Noohu did not accurately reflect the situation, describing him as an opportunist, not a victim. The defense pointed to communications from 2024 where Noohu actively pitched himself for a promotion to executive producer, stating that the change would ultimately make the show better.
Amazon’s lawyers also argued that Noohu’s contemporaneous communications did not contain any evidence of harassment or discrimination. They sought to have the court dismiss the lawsuit entirely, maintaining that the allegations remain disputed.
As of now, the court has not yet issued a final ruling on the claims. The situation highlights the complex intersection of creative ambition, workplace environment, and the legal mechanisms used to address grievances in the entertainment industry.
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