What ever happened to the HBO documentary on the Richard Strauss sex abuse scandal?

It has been over two years since news broke of George Clooney's Smokehouse Pictures and Sports Illustrated Studios/101 Studios producing a documentary about the sexual abuse scandal involving former Ohio State University athletics doctor Richard Strauss.

The untitled film, which will debut on HBO and HBO Max, is being told through the experiences of the alleged victims of Strauss, including All-American wrestlers and football players, some of whom had not spoken out until this documentary. Eva Orner, an Emmy- and Academy Award-winning actor who won an Oscar for "Taxi to the Dark Side," is the director.

The documentary will examine the university's failure to act and allegations that school officials and staff knew about Strauss' conduct but ignored it. Strauss sexually abused at least 177 OSU students throughout his 20-year tenure as an athletics and student health doctor at the school, according to an independent investigative report released by Ohio State University in May 2019.

In September 2021, a federal judge ruled that none of the cases against the school and the athletic department could proceed due to the statute of limitations. However, in July 2022, Ohio State University reached seven more settlement agreements with survivors totaling approximately $247,000, bringing the total number of survivors settled with to nearly 300 survivors who have been paid more than $60 million.

In March, Ohio State petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court in a final attempt to block lawsuits from those sexually abused by Strauss.

Preying On Patients:State medical board failed to protect Ohioans from doctors' sexual misconduct

HBO has not provided any updates on the documentary's completion or release. When asked for updates, the network stated that there was no information to share at this time.

The documentary will "give the courageous men who were abused a powerful and clear voice," said Eva Orner. It remains to be seen when the public will get to hear that voice.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@taijuannichole