An Atlanta film titan once praised for his diversity and inclusion initiatives is now facing a torrent of criticism after a series of racist and antisemitic texts emerged, painting a disturbing picture starkly at odds with the public image Ryan Millsap, former CEO of Blackhall Studios, has cultivated over the years.

Revelations detailed in court documents disclosed by Millsap's ex-lawyer, John Da Grosa Smith, in Fulton County Superior Court show the movie exec's private musings, which ranged from vents of frustrations like "F—— Black People" and referring to "nasty Jews," with a slew of the messages originating back in 2019 when Smith was still in Millsap's employ, at the helm of what was then known as Blackhall Studios, he was on a daily strategy grind and providing leadership apparently while behind the curtain, privately fostering viewpoints in stark contrast with his projected image.

While his tenure at Shadowbox Studios (previously Blackhall Studios) ended with a hefty $120 million sale in 2021, Millsap was a name to be reckoned with in Atlanta, collaborating on African American projects such as HBO's "Lovecraft Country" and engaging with prominent Black public figures including T.I. and Issac Hayes III on his "The Blackhall Podcast," with the former even featuring Millsap on "expediTIously" in 2023, even yet Smith claimed these associations belied a darker reality, telling WABE, "Ryan works hard to mislead and hide the truth. And he is very good at it... These text messages are perilous for him."

Hockmeyer, Millsap's ex-girlfriend and an investor in his real estate ventures, has issued an apology for her participation in the disturbing exchange, referring to the conduct as "inappropriate," however, Millsap himself has yet to address the furor with a formal statement – the exact nature and scope of the racist and antisemitic conversations were dissected in a joint investigation by ProPublica and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which has left the local filmmaking community and allies reeling questioning the sincerity of Millsap's championed causes.

The ripple effects of Millsap's unveiled private discourse perhaps go beyond just interpersonal communications, intersecting with larger community issues; he was at the forefront of a 2020 land swap deal between Blackhall Studios and DeKalb County exchanging 55 acres of studio property for 40 acres of Intrenchment Creek Park, across from the site of the contentious Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, or "Cop City" to its detractors, its completion now clouded by the scandal that's engulfing its orchestrator.