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Two weeks ago, when the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav said on a quarterly earnings call that he was “very excited” about upcoming DC titles, including “The Flash,” the film is still slated for release in 2023. On Monday, Miller announced that they were tackling their “complex issues of Mental Health”.
“Having recently gone through a period of intense crisis, I now understand that I have complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,” Miller said in a statement shared with The Washington Post. “I want to apologize to everyone I have alarmed and upset about my past behavior. I am committed to doing the work necessary to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.
The statement came after months of silence from Miller over the allegations against them, and amid flagged conversations at Warner Bros. on how to handle the $200 million movie, which is set to play a key role in the DC Extended Universe. According to Evan Nierman, a crisis management expert who is managing director of public relations firm Red Banyan, this was a logical next step for Warner Bros. because it “puts the blame on Miller.”
“It takes a situation where someone could be assumed to be criminal or malicious and turn that into someone who deserves some grace and understanding,” Nierman said. “I suspect Warner Bros. was too happy to go down this road. I don’t know who’s paying for it. [treatment]but even if the studio paid for it, it seems like a pretty good investment considering what they’ve already poured into the movie itself.
Contacted for comment on Miller’s statement, representatives for Warner Bros. directed the Washington Post to a Miller publicist who had no further comment.
Miller has been arrested twice this year in Hawaii – once in March for misconduct and harassment in a karaoke bar, and again in April for allegedly throwing a chair that hit a woman’s face in a private residence. Miller pleaded without contest charged with disorderly conduct and paid a fine; the harassment charge was dismissed. A temporary restraining order filed by a couple alleging the actor threatened them was also filed. fell in april. Last week, Miller was charged with burglary in Vermont, where they live, for a May incident in which they allegedly stole liquor bottles from a house whose occupants were not present.
The assault allegations against Miller date back to April 2020, when a video went viral in which the actor seemed to suffocate a woman in Iceland; no charges were filed. Miller also faced multiple allegations of abuse and grooming, some of which resulted in requests for protective orders. In June, according to Rolling Stone, the parents of an 18-year-old asked for a restraining order against Miller on behalf of their child, whom they said Miller cared for for several years after visiting the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota. Later that month, the Daily Beast reported that a Massachusetts mother and her 12-year-old son have received a temporary harassment prevention order against Miller after he was allegedly inappropriate towards the child.
It’s unclear if Miller will be involved in any future projects as The Flash. Warner Bros. executives have their work cut out between now and the current film’s June 2023 release date, according to Nierman.
“The key is going to be, can Ezra Miller stay out of trouble until the premiere?” said the crisis management expert. “I should think Warner Bros. is going to do everything in their power to increase the odds of that happening.”
This post has been updated.