Sharing the result of its independent investigation into the claims, the studio behind 'The Rookie' expresses its regret that the actress' time on the series 'was not a positive one for her.'
- September 18, 2019
AceShowbiz - TV bosses at eOne have dismissed actress Afton Williamson's allegations of sexual harassment and racial discrimination, which forced her to quit TV police drama "The Rookie".
The producers have released the results of an investigation, which was launched after Williamson made her claims this summer as she announced she would not be returning to the show.
"As a result of the independent investigation, we have concluded that those identified in Ms. Williamson's allegations did not conduct themselves in an unlawful manner or demonstrate behavior inappropriate for the workplace," a statement reads. "It was also concluded that the executive producers, including showrunner Alexi Hawley, addressed matters of which they were made aware promptly and in a fair and reasonable manner."
The statement continues: "We recognize and respect that, as individuals, the lens through which we view situations, interactions and comments, can differ based on our experiences and perspectives. As such, we regret that Ms. Williamson's time on the series was not a positive one for her, and we respect her decision to move on to other projects."
The "Homeland" star claimed she had been subjected to multiple incidents of inappropriate behaviour from members of the crew and a guest star in an Instagram post on 4 August.
"Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers," she wrote. "During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. Head escalated into Sexual Assault at our Wrap party."
"The Sexual Harassment though reported directly to the Showrunner/EP remained undocumented and was not reported to HR (Human Resources) as promised. The Hair Dept. Head was fired ONLY after the sexual assault and NOT for an entire year of outward racism/racially charged language and bullying behavior in and out of the Hair and Makeup trailer."
