Indie filmmaker Andrew Callaghan, known for his Man on the Street Channel 5 YouTube interviews and HBO documentary This Place Rules, has addressed allegations of sexual misconduct made against him in early January were raised.
In a statement sent to Variety, Callaghan’s legal representative said, “Andrew is devastated that he is being accused of any form of physical or mental coercion against anyone. Conversations about pressure and approval are extremely important and Andrew wants to have these conversations so he can continue to learn and grow. While any dynamic is open to interpretation and proper communication from all parties involved is crucial, repeated demands for money should not be part of these conversations.”
The statement continued, “That’s why balanced communication is paramount to any relationship dynamic, and Andrew promises to be better in that regard, while reminding his audience that even one concerned partner is too much, it.” but there are always several sides to a story. Andrew is fully committed to working with the appropriate professionals to better understand himself and the ways he can grow and improve as a person, especially with his growing platform and the vulnerabilities that come with it.”
A woman named Caroline Elise claimed Callaghan stayed at her home and “dressed [her] down” with requests to have sex until she agreed. “[He] finally got my approval because he was wearing me down,” she said in a TikTok video. “It’s even harder to relive the trauma I endured every day when I see this man being given a platform as a social justice fighter, as someone who cares about human rights. You shouldn’t support him.”
Another woman named Dana had a similar allegation days later. She claimed Callaghan pressured her into having sex in her car after a previous sexual encounter that she found “mean” and “degrading.” “I told him to stop. I’ve told him multiple times to get off me,” she said in a video posted to TikTok. “He tried to put my hand down his pants and I fought him and told him to please stop.”
HBO released Callaghan’s documentary This Place Rules on December 30, and the film was produced by Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim and A24. On Jan. 12, Heidecker addressed the allegations against Callaghan, saying there were “no plans” to work with him again.
“We are aware of the allegations. We take them very seriously. It was very sad and disappointing to say the least. I just want to clarify a few things. We currently have no professional relationship with Andrew and have no future plans to have a relationship with him,” Heidecker said on his podcast. “We produced the film and I’m horrified that this film is now associated with these allegations because some very good people worked very hard on it. But it’s just a film and I want to say that we believe these women who have come forward and of course we strongly condemn the type of behavior that Andrew is being accused of.”