Eight women accuse filmmaker Max Landis of sexual, emotional abuse

Max Landis. Photo / Getty Images

Filmmaker and screenwriter Max Landis has been accused by eight different women of abuse, ranging from emotional abuse to sexual assault and rape.

According to The Daily Beast, the women - who are former partners or collaborators of Landis' - detailed a pattern of grooming, assault and intimidation over the course of multiple years.

The women allege a pattern of behavior in which Landis uses his money and status to lure women into his elite social circle, before manipulating or harassing them into relationships and then allegedly abusing and, in at least one case, raping them.

One woman described his friend group as a "cult" and said Landis "systematically [tried] to have sex with all the women I knew."

One of the women - Landis' ex Ani Baker - was prompted to speak out after Landis was accused of sexual abuse in February, when an anonymous woman wrote a Medium post alleging that Landis pinned her down while she was drunk during a trip and only stopped when she "went limp and pretended to pass out".

Baker's account in the Daily Beast claims Landis once became violent after consensual sex.

"He turned around, and he put his hands around my throat, and he got very close to my face. He said, 'I will f***ing kill you. Do you understand what I'm saying? I will f***ing kill you,'" she said.

Another woman alleged she went to Disneyland with Landis where they shared a room with two beds, but she was woken in the morning by him performing oral sex on her.

And another alleged Landis subjected her to emotional abuse including criticising her body in public and telling her to work out more, as well as yelling at her until she cried because her crying "turned him on".

She called him "a serial rapist, gaslighter, physical and psychological abuser."

Other women also detailed the body shaming aspect of the abuse, as well as physical abuse including choking.

Landis has not issued a public response to the accusations.

WHERE TO GET HELP OR INFORMATION:

• Rape Crisis Line - 0800 883 300
• National Sexual Harm Helpline - 0800 044 334
• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz
• Pet Refuge petrefuge.org.nz
• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz
• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584
• It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz