But behind the rave reviews for this latest remake of the classic movie lies a sinister story that could taint its chances of glory.
Hairdresser turned multi-millionaire movie bigwig Jon Peters — who helped get the film made — has been battered by a string of sexual assault and bullying claims.
Allegations include that he grabbed the breasts of two assistants and flashed his private parts at a three-year-old girl while saying: “Look what boys have.”
Years before Hollywood’s Harvey Weinstein scandal, which led to the #MeToo movement, five private law suits were launched against Peters for mistreating staff.
In one it was claimed he had tried to force a female employee into bed while he was naked and offered her money when she refused his sexual advances.
Producer Peters, 73, who helped to make Batman, Rain Man, Superman Returns and An American Werewolf In London, is most famous for a stormy and “violent” 12-year relationship with Barbra Streisand, who starred in the 1976 version of A Star Is Born.
As main producer for that film, Peters’ contract gave him the right to to be involved with any remake. And according to Bill Gerber, a producer on the latest A Star Is Born, Peters was instrumental in getting the latest film made.
He told the Hollywood Reporter last year: “There were a lot of complicated deals on A Star Is Born, a lot of heavy-hitters. And Jon could not have been more helpful in getting it all in line.”
Now Bradley Cooper, who is making his directorial debut on the latest adaptation, is trying to distance himself from Peters, who is noted as a producer in the film’s credits.
The A-lister said last week: “If I had known all those things, I would have done it differently. I wanted to make the movie, I knew I had to get consent from him, otherwise there’s no film. But I should have checked. I guess that’s the thing.”
So far, Lady Gaga, who has spoken of suffering sexual abuse as a child and teenager, has not commented on the prospect of Peters enjoying awards glory and a healthier bank balance from the project.
But he is certain to be absent from the red carpet when the film has its British premiere in London tonight.
Peters, who has been divorced four times, revelled in his a reputation as a Hollywood player and was the inspiration for Warren Beatty’s bed-hopping stylist in 1975 movie Shampoo.
He has boasted of sleeping with then-married Kim Basinger while making 1989’s Batman, which starred Michael Keaton in the lead. Last year, he said: “Michael had the eye for Kim. I remember he got mad at me when she and I hooked up.”
Father-of-five Peters has also been romantically linked to Pamela Anderson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jacqueline Bisset, Linda Evans and Sharon Stone. He has long been forced to fight off accusations of sexual harassment, settling many claims out of court.
But in 2011, a court ordered him to pay personal assistant Shelly Morita £2.25million in damages after a jury believed her account of a catalogue of sexual harassment.
Shelly told the court that despite sleeping in separate rooms while working on 2006’s Superman Returns in Australia: “I woke up and he was in my bed. He said, ‘I can’t sleep . . . I’m lonely, let me just stay here with you’.”
Shelly added that he would often fondle her bottom, breasts and legs, and that when she accidentally walked in on him naked, he chased her for a hug. In 2007 his assistant Bianca Hernandez claimed he pushed her on a bed when he was in the buff and tried to pay for sexual favours.
At the same time, Peters’ live-in servant Adriana Silveira claimed she was fired after becoming pregnant and needing bed rest. Peters was alleged to have told her husband that she either have an abortion or lose her job. She refused.
In 1999, his finance vice-president Colleen Bennet tried to sue him, saying he would hold meetings while in just his underwear, flash his manhood and grab her body.
All these four cases were settled out of court, with Peters denying any wrongdoing.
During his divorce from fourth wife Mindy, who he married in 2001, it was alleged he had threatened to kill her and had fondled his private parts in front of their kids during breakfast.
After they split in 2004 a judge issued a restraining order against Peters to protect her from his “abusive” behaviour. Just like the lead male character in A Star is Born, Peters is a man who rose to the top then crashed back down again.
He got his big break by designing Barbra Streisand’s wig for the 1974 comedy For Pete’s Sake.
The pair fell in love, and while Barbra refused to marry him, she did agree to take the lead of the up-and-coming singer in Peters’ 1976 version of A Star Is Born.
It had already been made in 1937 with Janet Gaynor and then in 1954 with Judy Garland, and Peters initially struggled to find backers for what would be his first movie.
With Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond and Marlon Brando all turning down the male role, they plumped for country singer Kris Kristofferson.
Peters reportedly blew a fuse when Kris turned up in the altogether for a hot-tub sex scene with Barbra, rather than wearing the flesh-coloured pants that had been made for him.
The film won five Golden Globes, and Peters went on to have a string of successes with business partner Peter Guber, including Batman, which raked in over £300million.
The pair were poached by Sony to become chief executives in a one-billion-dollar deal. But it soon turned sour after big-budget films, including Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Last Action Hero, flopped and Peters had used a company jet to fly flowers to supermodel girlfriend Vendela Kirsebom.
The deal-maker continued to be a canny operator though and bought the rights to Superman.
He claims to have made more than £60million from 2006’s Superman Returns and 2013’s Man of Steel — but was banned from the set of the latter by producer Christopher Nolan.
Bradley Cooper also insists he did not let Peters anywhere near the filming of the latest A Star is Born. The studio says he only received a producing credit to honour a contractual obligation.
In a post-Weinstein world, Hollywood is trying to present itself as cleaning up its act. Yet despite the allegations, Peters has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is still a member of the Academy that votes on the Oscars.
Living in a plush apartment in Los Angeles, he continues to earn a fortune from the business.
It seems that in Hollywood, while a star might lose its shine, its never really fades from view.
Source: Read Full Article