The 'American Gods' creator is accused of sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and retaliation against Shudder's 'Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror' producer Sam Wineman.
- Oct 6, 2023
AceShowbiz - Bryan Fuller has been sued for sexual harassment. The TV producer and showrunner, known for creating "Hannibal" and "American Gods", is accused of sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and retaliation against a producer on Shudder's "Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror" in a lawsuit that also names the streaming service and AMC Networks as the defendants.
Fuller and plaintiff Sam Wineman, who are both gay, worked together on "Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror", a four-part docuseries that was released on AMC's Shudder streaming service in 2022. According to Wineman, he was fired from the project in August 2021, about four weeks after complaining about Fuller's conduct.
"Defendant Bryan Fuller cultivated and maintained a hostile work environment as a result of harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault and retaliation from the years 2020 to 2022," Wineman alleged in a graphic and explicit suit that was filed to the Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, October 4.
Wineman and his Good Gustafson Aumais LLP and Atkins & Associates lawyers added, "Mr. Fuller sexually assaulted plaintiff several times throughout the Steakhaus Production of Queer for Fear for AMC defendants and their streaming service Shudder."
Wineman claimed in the lawsuit that Fuller made numerous references to his penis, talked about which reading material gave him erections, and talked about "wanking it" to adult/child power dynamics in stories. Fuller also allegedly left lubricant and balled up tissues on his desk to let Wineman know he had been masturbating.
Not stopping there, Wineman stated that Fuller made bullying comments about Wineman by saying he was "weak," lacked charisma, and was "drier than NPR." Despite his problematic behavior, Wineman said that the executive producers coddled Fuller and protected him from consequences because he was "the money," and "we have to keep the money happy."
In response to the lawsuit, Fuller's attorney Bryan Fredman dubbed the allegations "fictitious" and "absolute garbage" in a statement to Deadline, adding that Wineman was fired for "gross incompetence." The lawyer continued, "Sam Wineman just made the biggest mistake of his life and once the evidence comes out, he will forever be known as a pathological liar."
