Ed Brubaker’s upcoming Prime Video series Criminal just landed in serious legal trouble before even reaching audiences. A former production assistant filed a disturbing complaint alleging widespread harassment during the show’s production.
Ed Brubaker hit with lawsuit over alleged Criminal set conduct
Ed Brubaker, the showrunner behind Prime Video’s forthcoming series Criminal, now faces a workplace harassment lawsuit.
Former production assistant Ijaaz Noohu lodged a 12-claim complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court this week. Deadline first reported the filing, which accuses Brubaker of persistent sexual, racial, national origin, and religious misconduct.
Noohu, a Sri Lankan American filmmaker boasting fourteen years of industry experience, started on the production in February 2023. He contends Brubaker fostered a hostile environment through degrading remarks targeting his Muslim background. The complaint specifically alleges Brubaker questioned whether Noohu supported Hamas during production.
The filing describes a workplace “made toxic and abusive by the very individuals entrusted with authority over it.” Noohu also claims he endured inappropriate comments about rape while working on the show.
Executive producer Phillip Barnett appears as a co-defendant alongside Amazon Services and MGM in the complaint. The suit accuses Barnett of instructing others against documenting grievances and willfully overlooking abusive behavior. Corporate entities Big Indie Pictures and Big Indie Gemini, Inc. are also named in the action.
Noohu additionally asserts the production barred him from the set after he voiced concerns about the misconduct. He states his credit on Criminal vanished following his premature removal from the project.
Amazon MGM developed the series from Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ celebrated 2006 graphic novel franchise. Prime Video greenlit Criminal for a series order in January 2024, though no premiere date exists yet. The ensemble cast includes Charlie Hunnam, Emilia Clarke, Luke Evans, Richard Jenkins, and John Hawkes.
Burbank-based attorney Fahim Rahman represents Noohu in the matter. The complaint pursues a jury trial along with unspecified monetary damages across all twelve claims.
