Women’s Group Ultraviolet Calls for CBS to Fire ‘Bull’ Star Michael Weatherly Over Eliza Dushku Harassment Accusations
Women’s activist group Ultraviolet called for CBS to fire “Bull” star Michael Weatherly after the network confirmed that it paid actress Eliza Dushku $9.5 million in January after she complained that she was let go when she filed multiple sexual harassment claims against Weatherly.
“CBS must immediately move to fire Michael Weatherly and send a clear example that sexual harassment and abuse will not be tolerated by anyone at the network – including both CEO’s and star actors’ alike,” Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet said in a statement. “CBS should also install new leadership that will take harassment seriously and begin a comprehensive review of its sexual assault and harassment prevention and reporting policies and make the result of the investigation public.”
CBS agreed to pay Eliza Dushku a multimillion-dollar settlement in January following her complaint that she was written off the drama “Bull” after she confronted series star Michael Weatherly about multiple instances of inappropriate behavior.
The network did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment. On Thursday, the company issued a statement regarding the settlement:
“The allegations in Ms. Dushku’s claims are an example that, while we remain committed to a culture defined by a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace, our work is far from done. The settlement of these claims reflects the projected amount that Ms. Dushku would have received for the balance of her contract as a series regular, and was determined in a mutually agreed upon mediation process at the time.”
Last year, Dushku, best known for her work on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” was tapped to play a major role in three episodes of “Bull,” with the possibility of becoming a full-time cast member.
But Dushku was soon written off the show after she confronted Weatherly, the series’ star, over comments she said made her uncomfortable, according to the report.
According to Dushku, Weatherly made comments about her appearance in front of the crew. She also said he made a rape joke and a comment about a threesome.
“More sunlight on CBS’s backwards culture of covering up harassment and abuse is a good thing. It’s clear they have a lot of work ahead of them,” Thomas’ statement continued. “The fact that CBS has continued to let Weatherly remain with the network, while sweeping his abuse under the rug, only puts other CBS employees’ safety at risk.”
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