Straight Outta Compton has been in theaters for about a week, and the spotlight on Dr. Dre’s past violence toward women has people asking whether those moments were ever meant to be in the film. A new report suggests at least one was.
According to the Los Angeles Times, an early draft of the screenplay included a scene based on Dre’s 1991 assault of television host Dee Barnes at a party. Screenwriter Jonathan Herman told the paper the scene was in the initial draft. The Times described the scene as showing a drunk, angry Dre confronting Barnes about her coverage of N.W.A, then attacking her after she throws a drink at him. The scene did not make it into the finished film.
Director F. Gary Gray has said the movie stayed focused on the group’s story and left out the personal lives of its members. He has also reportedly said a longer director’s cut is planned for home video, though there is no word on whether the scene would be added.
Barnes wrote an essay this month saying the film leaves out what happened to her. Michel’le, Dre’s former girlfriend, has also spoken publicly about abuse she says she suffered during their relationship. Dre pleaded no contest to assault in the Barnes case in the early 1990s.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Dre said he made terrible mistakes when he was young, that some of the allegations against him are true while others are not, and that he regrets those actions and has paid for them. Reports said a representative for Dre did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on the script.
Reporting from the Los Angeles Times, with additional coverage from Jezebel and The FADER.
