Film crew union calls out Femi Branch over ‘physically assaulted’ director

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A film crew union has accused actor Femi Branch of assaulting an assistant director on set.

In a statement released on Friday, the association alleged that Branch verbally abused and slapped the assistant director on June 18.

According to the union, the incident occurred after the assistant director questioned why filming had commenced without several key crew members, prompting the actor to reportedly become violent.

“On 18th June, 2025, during a production shoot, an actor, Mr Femi Branch, physically assaulted a first Assistant Director on set,” the statement reads.

“He slapped the first A.D. in the presence of witnesses, violating not only professional boundaries but basic human decency.

“Here’s what we know: At location A, the 1st A.D. was insulted and slapped by Mr. Femi Branch after questioning why filming had started without the A.D. and D.P. present.

“The actor reacted with insults and physical assault when the A.D. stood his ground.”

The group further revealed that the crew halted filming and barred Branch from leaving the set before he eventually apologised to both the assistant director and the entire crew.

They also called on stakeholders in the industry to take the appropriate action against the “gross misconduct” and called for all crew to be treated with “dignity and respect”.

“The crew stood in full solidarity with the 1st A.D., refusing to film until an apology was made. When the actor tried to leave, the gate was locked,” the statement added.

“Under pressure, an assurance of apology was given. Filming resumed under the 1st A.D’s instruction, and the actor later apologised to the 1st A.D. and the entire crew.

“We commend the entire production crew for standing firmly against violence and upholding respect and integrity on set.

“We stand with the crew member who was assaulted and are taking this seriously. Every person on set deserves safety, dignity and respect, no exceptions.

“We call on industry stakeholders, unions and fellow creatives to join us to condemn the prevalence of this behaviour within the industry and demand accountability.”

As of this reporting, Femi Branch has yet to respond publicly to the association’s allegation.