Who is Josh Safdie married to? All about filmmaker’s family amid on-set teen sex scene controversy

Special Screening Of "Marty Supreme" At Picturehouse Central - Source: Getty
Special Screening Of "Marty Supreme" At Picturehouse Central - Source: Getty

Prominent directing duo, Benny and Josh Safdie, known for critically acclaimed films such as Good Time and Uncut Gems, have recently drawn attention over an on-set controversy relating to a teen sex scene, which reportedly caused the two brothers to go their separate ways and pursue solo careers, as per Page Six.

While Josh Safdie, whose sports drama film Marty Supreme was released in the US on December 25, 2025, starring Timothée Chalamet, received four nominations at the 2026 Oscars, Benny Safdie's The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson, unfortunately, did not receive any nominations.

As netizens and film enthusiasts are excited to find out if Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme will bag an Oscar, they are also interested to know what exactly happened that caused a rift between the brothers.

According to Page Six, while Benny and Josh Safdie went their separate ways professionally in 2023, it was an on-set incident during the production of the Robert Pattinson-starrer crime thriller film Good Time, where a teenager, who was 17, portraying a sex worker, was part of a nude and simulated sex scene, and was traumatized when Buddy Duress (originally known as Michael Stathis) tried to have actual sex with her while he was high.

While Josh learned later that the girl was a minor, at the time, he continued shooting the scene, after which Benny, finding out about it, decided to cut ties with him professionally. As per Page Six, an on-set source stated that it was Josh who was in charge at the time. The on-set source claimed:

"Any director who had seen that should have yelled 'Cut!' and stopped the scene, but Josh let it continue."

However, Josh Safdie, who cemented his position in Hollywood as a well-established and critically acclaimed independent filmmaker, is married to Sara Rossaein, with whom he shares two children. According to IMDb, Sara Rossein is a cinematographer, editor, and film producer. She has worked on films such as Marty Supreme, Daddy Longlegs, and Delusional Downtown Divas.

According to reports, Josh, Benny's brother, was born in New York to a Syrian-Jewish father, while his mother was of Russian Jewish descent.


After Josh Safdie's on-set teen sex scene controversy, Anne Henry, a child actors advocate, called out the "on-set behaviors of directors"

The 2022 Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 28, 2022, in New York City - Source: Getty
The 2022 Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 28, 2022, in New York City - Source: Getty

Following Josh Safdie's on-set teen sex scene controversy during the production of Good Time, which involved a 17-year-old girl in a nude and simulated sex scene, traumatized her, Anne Henry, the co-founder of BizParentz, an advocacy group for child actors, called out the "on-set behaviors of directors".

As per Page Six, Anne said:

"It seems Academy members have a very short memory when it comes to the on-set behavior of their ‘best directors'"

She further added:

"It is troubling that just a few years later Josh Safdie is being honored as a director. Maybe it is my perspective as a child advocate, but I don’t consider a director who hires a non-union kids off Instagram, skirts safety protections for minors, has a girl do a surprise nude scene, to be stellar. I would have hoped Oscar-nominated directors would be judged for their methods and professionalism as well. This is 2026. We shouldn’t be in a ‘create entertainment at all costs’ environment."

Keep an eye on Soap Central for more interesting news.

Love movies? Try our Box Office Game and Movie Grid Game to test your film knowledge and have some fun!

Edited by Amey Mirashi