To hear it from Page Six Hollywood‘s Tatiana Siegel, indie filmmaking bros Josh and Benny Safdie parted company in 2023 over a sexually coarse, clearly illegal incident that happened during the filming of Good Time (A24, 8.11.17), a frenzied, super-chaotic urban crime flick.
Having spoken to”multiple” Good Time sources, Siegel reports that “a 17-year-old girl” — possibly Taliah Webster, who was 17 during filming in early ’16 — was called upon to do nudity and (this is key) cope with costar Buddy Duress whipping out his schlong during the filming of a scene.
Josh and Benny co-directed, but Siegel’s focus is on Josh, who was the stronger force between the two. She reports that Josh “became aware of the girl’s age on the day of production, shortly after the scene [was] shot, as the traumatized girl spiraled.”
Benny, however, who was right there (working the boom mike) and, being one of the film’s two top dogs, surely had every opportunity to inquire about Webster’s age and whatnot…Benny didn’t become aware of the Good Time actress’s age until the summer of ’22, according to Siegel.
Does that make any sense to anyone?
Bystander to Benny during filming in early ’16: “Hey, Benny, that actress…the one playing Crystal?…she’s pretty cute, but she also looks really young. Is she a minor?” Benny to bystander: “I don’t know, man.” Bystander to Benny: “You’re the co-director of this thing, Benny, and you don’t know if she’s legal or not, sex-scene-wise? Buddy just whipped it out!” Benny to bystander: “”I really don’t know, man. Ask Josh.”
AI says Josh and Benny’s Good Time was “filmed over 35 days, in February and March 2016.”
The central event in Siegel’s story, therefore, dates back a full ten years. But Benny stayed clueless about the legality of using Webster (or whomever it was) in a sex scene for six and a half years after that. It didn’t occur to him throughout 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and half of ’22.
Benny to Josh in the summer of ’22: “Hey man…the scene between that pretty teenaged actress and Buddy that we shot six and a half years ago? You never told me she was a minor!” Josh to Benny: “I only found out she was 17 until after the scene was shot. You were right there. You agreed to cast her …we both did. Why is this all my fault?” Benny to Josh: “You were the kingpin between us so it was mainly your fault. We were both careless, true, but it was mainly you so fuck you…I don’t want to partner with you any more.” Josh to Benny: “NOW you’re deciding this?? Were you in a coma for six and a half years? NOW you have a problem with an on-camera scene in which a 17-year-old is confronted with Buddy’s schlong…a scene that was shot eight months before Trump was elected the first time…eight to nine months before the launch of #MeToo? NOW you have a fucking problem with it?”
Siegel: “Using a minor for nudity and a sex scene would flout industry norms, including a Screen Actors Guild rule that stipulates work conditions not be ‘detrimental to the health, morals and safety of the minor.’ Those familiar with the chain of events say Josh’s recklessness was beyond the pale.”
If I’d been in Josh Safdie’s shoes I would yelled “cut!” when Buddy yanked his Johnson out. “Fuck are you doing, man?” I would’ve shouted. “Zip up and apologize to the crew, and to Taliah in particular.” But that’s me. Why did Josh keep rolling? I’m guessing that he kept it going because the scene had a certain extra pizazz or edge…because the energy felt special or something.
I’m not saying Siegel’s story is a nothingburger, but it’s certainly a not-much-burger. It’s basically an anti-Marty Supreme hit piece.