Amazon and Ed Brubaker File Motion to Dismiss Harassment Lawsuit Over 'Criminal' TV Series Set

Amazon MGM and comic creator Ed Brubaker have formally asked a Los Angeles judge to throw out a sprawling workplace harassment lawsuit surrounding the upcoming Prime Video series Criminal. In a demurrer filed on September 18, 2026, defense attorneys labeled the plaintiff an 'opportunist, not a victim,' signaling a highly aggressive legal strategy from the studio. The response arrives two weeks after Ijaaz Noohu, a Sri Lankan American filmmaker with 14 years of industry experience, filed a 12-count complaint alleging he endured 'sustained sexual, racial, national origin, and religious harassment' during his tenure on the production.[1][2][3][5]

Noohu, who was hired as a production assistant in February 2023, claims the hostile environment was an open secret among leadership. The lawsuit, which also names executive producer Phillip Barnett and Big Indie Pictures, paints a picture of a set 'made toxic and abusive by the very individuals entrusted with authority over it.' According to the 12-page complaint, Brubaker subjected Noohu to pervasive sexual harassment, including unwanted physical contact and inappropriate jokes, while also directing demeaning ethnic stereotypes at him regarding his heritage and presumed mathematical ability.[1][3][4][5]

The most severe allegation in Noohu's September 2 filing centers on a claim that Brubaker pointed a functional firearm directly at his face and pulled the trigger in front of a senior producer. In an entertainment industry still hyper-vigilant following the fatal Rust shooting in New Mexico, the defense's filing vehemently denied the event ever took place, calling the accusation 'pure invention.' The studio's lawyers argued that such an incident would have triggered an immediate, mandatory production shutdown and a flurry of incident reports.[1][2][3]

'Had that happened, every person in the room, Noohu included, had a duty to report it and in a post-Rust industry on high alert to firearms, someone would have,' the defense attorneys wrote in their motion. 'No one did. Defendants first learned of the supposed incident when Noohu reemerged peddling the story and demanding a payday.' The defense maintains that the lack of contemporaneous documentation for an event of that magnitude fundamentally undermines the credibility of the entire complaint.[1][2][4]

The lawsuit also outlines a specific sequence of alleged professional retaliation. Noohu claims that after he formally requested a promotion to executive producer following 18 months of work, the production retaliated by accelerating his exit date in September 2024. He alleges he was subsequently barred from the set and denied credit on the finished series. Furthermore, the complaint asserts that Brubaker and Barnett spoke negatively about him to others in the industry, which forms the basis of a formal defamation claim within the broader 12-count suit.[1][5]

Amazon's legal team challenged the timeline of the plaintiff's claims, arguing that the lawsuit was strategically delayed to maximize public relations leverage against a high-profile project. The defense noted that Noohu 'sat on these supposed claims for twenty months and filed suit on the eve of the press circuit for Criminal.' By filing just as the studio prepares to market the series, the defense argues, Noohu is demonstrating 'the conduct of an opportunist timing his leverage, not a victim seeking redress.'[2][3][5]

To bolster their argument that the hostile workplace claims are fabricated, the defense referenced an email Noohu allegedly sent to Brubaker on September 11, 2024, titled 'Why You Should Not Fire Me, and Promote Me Instead (a short essay).' According to the demurrer, the communications contained no mention of distress, harassment, or discrimination. Instead, the defense argues, the email demonstrated Noohu's active desire to continue working closely with the showrunner and secure a higher title on the production.[4][5]

Based on the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series by Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips, Criminal was officially ordered to series by Prime Video in January 2024. The adaptation features a cast that includes Charlie Hunnam, Emilia Clarke, Luke Evans, and Richard Jenkins, representing a major investment for the studio. A hearing on the motion to dismiss is scheduled for October 15, 2026, before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Fahey, where the court will determine which, if any, of the causes of action will proceed to discovery.[1][3][4]