Matthew Newton has stepped down as the director of upcoming action film Eve, starring Jessica Chastain, after backlash related to his history of violence.

Jessica Chastain accused of hypocrisy for working with Matthew Newton Read more

Newton, who pleaded guilty in 2007 to assaulting his girlfriend, also wrote the film, which is being produced by Chastain’s Freckle Films along with Voltage Pictures. Chastain, a vocal member of Hollywood’s #MeToo movement and Time’s Up, initially called Newton “wonderfully adept at crafting complex and relatable characters” in a joint statement with Freckle Films’ Kelly Carmichael. But shortly after announcing the film, which was set to begin filming this summer, criticism of Chastain’s decision to work with the director grew.

“Yesterday I notified Jessica Chastain and the other producers on the film Eve that I will be stepping down as director,” wrote Newton in a statement. “Since the announcement of this film, the responses, which are powerful and important, have not fallen on deaf ears. I am profoundly aware that I have a responsibility to lead where I have failed in the past. I can never undo the harm that I’ve caused the people I’ve cared about and I carry that shame and responsibility with me every day.”

In 2010, actor Rachael Taylor took out an apprehended violence order against the 41-year-old director after accusing him of punching her in the face. After being charged for breaching the terms of the order in 2011 and getting arrested multiple times the next year for resisting officers, Newton received treatment at the Betty Ford Center for alcohol and drug addiction, as well as bipolar disorder. He has also been arrested for assaulting a taxi driver and hotel clerk.

Marc Fennell (@MarcFennell) In January, I asked Jessica Chastain about making choices when there's been allegations of abuse. She said this. https://t.co/cJatBvDVOx I have trouble seeing how she can justify working with Matthew Newton. https://t.co/SRNTS0zjjd

“Over the past eight years I have been working extensively with healthcare professionals to help me overcome my addiction and mental health illness,” wrote Newton, who directed the 2017 indie drama Who We Are Now. “For the past six years I have lived a quiet and sober life. All I can do now is try to be a living amends and hopefully contribute to the positive change occurring in our industry.”

In an interview conducted earlier this year with Australia’s The Feed, Chastain spoke about ensuring she doesn’t work with abusers on her film sets. “I’ve always made choices, in all the work that I’ve done, to make sure that on any film set that I’m working with people that there isn’t a question about whether or not abuse has taken place,” she said. “It’s very important to me that I practice what I preach, and that my actions follow my words.”

After her decision to work with Newton, however, the two-time Oscar nominee fielded accusations of hypocrisy. “I have trouble seeing how she can justify working with Matthew Newton,” wrote reporter Marc Fennell on Twitter. “How does Jessica Chastain claim to be an advocate for women in the industry and has constantly been a part of the MeToo discussion but in the same breath turn around and work with someone who has abused multiple women?” asked another Twitter user.

The 41-year-old actor is next set to appear in sequels for X-Men and the horror movie It.