1. Nate Parker racked up several film roles in the 2000s and 2010s before directing and starring in The Birth of a Nation , which seemed poised to become a mega-hit and Oscars bait. After its premiere at Sundance in 2016, Fox Searchlight paid $17.
5 million — a record-high — for distribution rights to the film. And then, in 2017, before the film's wide release, old rape allegations against Parker resurfaced. When Parker was in college, a female student had accused him and his friend Jean McGianni Celestin (who was also credited in The Birth of a Nation ) of rape while she was intoxicated and unconscious.
Parker was ultimately found not guilty, and Celestin was found guilty, though this was overturned on appeal. The woman also claimed Parker and Celestin had harassed and intimidated her after her accusations; she later died by suicide. As Parker's fame grew, reporters began to ask about the details of his past in interviews, and many felt Parker's responses insufficient.
He often referred to the accusations as a "painful moment" in his life. Parker still denies having assaulted the alleged victim but acknowledges some wrongdoing. "In my 42-year-old understanding, I can say without hesitation that, while I'm innocent of any criminal charges or acts, I can't say that I didn't do anything morally wrong," he told the Washington Post.
He also expressed regret for his defensive replies in interviews, saying, "So much of that environment was new, and unpredictable. I was strugglin.
