Content warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual harassment.
Filmmaker and Magic the Gathering podcaster Michael David Lynch has come under fire after allegations of abuse have resurfaced. An actor from one of his films claims that he coerced her into filming nude scenes, walking back on their deal which would allow her to film with a T-shirt on. When she insisted on the scene's removal, she says that he "abused his power" to punish her.
Actor Benita Robledo made the allegations earlier today, after her accounts of her time working with Lynch were re-shared in a Buzzfeed article about actors coerced into filming nude scenes. The details were initially shared in 2018, but following Lynch's statement this week, Robledo has expanded on her time working with the MTG creator. She shares accounts of coercion, as he allegedly attempted to harm her career due to her decision not to appear nude in his film.
The film in question, Dependent's Day, was filmed over 2013 and 2014. Robledo explains that she and Lynch made a deal prior to filming, in which they would film some scenes both nude and clothed, so the actor could decide which take to use. However, when it came to the day of filming, Robledo says that Lynch claimed there would not be enough time, and that they would film nude and edit it out should she not want that in the final cut.
While filming the scenes, Lynch allegedly made inappropriate comments, such as "so many guys wanted to fuck [Robledo]" and she should "want the nudity in".
When she insisted on using the right of refusal he had agreed to prior to filming, he then allegedly threatened to scrap a webseries he was directing for her and her friends. "He told me that if he didn't get his nudity, I wouldn't get my footage. That is not a disagreement, that is blackmail." She says he kept to his word, and Robledo has not seen a frame of this show since 2013, hurting the careers of her and the other actors.
She further accuses Lynch of refusing to give her an acting award she won in 2016, unless she posed with him at the film's premiere. Ultimately, she refused, and she only received her award after her allegations were made public in 2018 and another castmate collected it on her behalf. Even after this, she says he did not apologize.
"[These events] point to a clear desire to hurt me, and abuse his power as a director to get me to do what he wanted", Robeldo explains
When the allegations were once again shared in the Buzzfeed article, Lynch was quick to dismiss them. In a tweet prior to the apology, he shares a promotional video in which Robledo enthusiastically talks about the filming of the nude sex scenes. However, it is important to note that she is just referring to being comfortable being nude on set - not having that nudity appear in the film. As per her own account, she agreed to be nude during filming, as long as she retained the right to have the nudity edited out.
Robledo initially accepted Lynch's apology. However, upon learning about his previous dismissive tweets when the allegations first resurfaced - and because his statement doesn't address all the allegations - she has retracted this acceptance.
"I find it curious that Mike found the will to apologize only after he'd been called out publicly by the MTG community and his livelihood was being threatened[...] I applaud the Magic the Gathering community for wanting to hold him accountable".
Lynch has not issued another statement in response to Robledo's video at the time of writing. Card Kingdom, a major sponsor of I Hate Your Deck, has pulled its support from the show.