Andrew Kreisberg, the executive Producer, showrunner, and co-developer behind The CW’s biggest DC Comics television series, including Arrow, Supergirl, and The Flash, has been suspended after several allegations of sexual harassment were brought to light at Warner Bros. TV Group. At least fifteen women and four men, all who have all worked with Kreisberg over the years, detailed the alleged harassment to Variety, all describing similar instances that included frequently touching without permission, asking for massages, and kissing women without consent. Variety adds that their sources described a “constant stream of sexualized comments about women’s appearances, their clothes, and their perceived desirability.”
Kreisberg responded to the allegations in a statement to Variety, denying that his actions were sexualized or meant to be harassment:
“I have made comments on women’s appearances and clothes in my capacity as an executive producer, but they were not sexualized. Like many people, I have given someone a non-sexual hug or kiss on the cheek.” He denies that any inappropriate touching or massages occurred…
“I have proudly mentored both male and female colleagues for many years. But never in what I believe to be an unwanted way and certainly never in a sexual way”
Many who commented claimed that Kreisberg’s alleged behavior made work “unsafe” and that he “scared people” with his actions. And the allegations were enough to prompt Warner Bros. to suspend him while they conducted an investigation into the claims:
“We have recently been made aware of allegations of misconduct against Andrew Kreisberg,” said Warner Bros. TV Group in a statement to Variety. “We have suspended Mr. Kreisberg and are conducting an internal investigation. We take all allegations of misconduct extremely seriously, and are committed to creating a safe working environment for our employees and everyone involved in our productions.”
Berlanti Productions also released a statement on the allegations and suspension, standing by the cast and crew on the shows under Kreisberg’s guidance to guarantee their safety:
“We were recently made aware of some deeply troubling allegations regarding one of our showrunners,” said Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, who head Berlanti Productions which oversee Kreisberg’s shows. “We have been encouraging and fully cooperating with the investigation into this by Warner Bros. There is nothing more important to us than the safety and well-being of our cast, crew, writers, producers and any staff. We do not tolerate harassment and are committed to doing everything we can to make an environment that’s safe to work in and safe to speak up about if it isn’t.”
The specific allegations against Kreisberg are fairly disturbing at points, with most describing an environment where they were forced to walk on egg shells, “dressing as plainly as they could,” and watching their words to avoid any unwanted innuendos. Kreisberg defends most of the allegations by saying they were “for research” and actions used to act out what was needed for production.
(Via Variety / Deadline)