The Fox network is shutting down allegations that Fred Savage harassed a female crew member during filming of the 2015-’16 sitcom “The Grinder”.
According to TMZ, on Wednesday Youngjoo Hwang – who worked on the show as a costumer – filed a lawsuit alleging that Savage harassed her and other female crew members on the set.
As TMZ reports, Hwang’s lawsuit alleges that Savage “constantly gave her dirty looks, rolled his eyes and hurled profanities at her,” and once told her, “It’s so f**king annoying that I have to be nice to you when I f**king hate you!”
The court documents also allege that Savage had a reputation for “intimidating and tormenting” women who worked on the Rob Lowe-starring sitcom, with Hwang claiming that Savage exploded when she dusted some dandruff off his jacket, allegedly yelling, “Do not touch me with your hands.” She alleges he then “violently struck [her] arm three times with his hand.”
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Hwang’s suit claims that she reported the alleged incidents to an executive producer, who told her, “I’m not even sure what Fred did constituted harassment and I don’t think you should report it to H.R..”
After investigating the allegations, Fox issued a statement declaring that no evidence of Hwang’s claims could be found. “Fox takes all allegations of improper conduct very seriously,” reads the statement, released Wednesday. “We conducted a thorough investigation into these allegations and found no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Mr. Savage. We will vigorously defend against these unfounded claims.”
This was followed by a statement from Savage himself, who describes the allegations against him as “completely without merit and absolutely untrue.”
“I have witnessed tremendous courage over these past few months, watching brave women who have come forward publicly fighting through the shame and stigma of harassment. I’ve seen firsthand the growing support in this movement that has always felt so lacking. As someone who has always tried to live honourably and with integrity, it never dawned on me that my name could be on the other side,” says Savage in his statement.
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“I was made aware that a woman working in the costume department of a show I was on almost three years ago has claimed that I treated her harshly on set simply because she was a woman,” he continues. “These accusations are completely without merit and absolutely untrue. Fox conducted an extensive internal investigation into her claims, a process in which I fully participated. After concluding a thorough investigation, Fox determined that there was absolutely no evidence to support these accusations. None of her claims could be substantiated because they did not happen.”
Savage concludes: “I have been working in the entertainment industry my whole life and have always endeavoured to treat everyone on any set I work on respectfully and professionally. While none of the accusations being levelled at me are true, I wholeheartedly support all people who feel they are being mistreated [to] come forward and speak to human resources and those in charge. We have witnessed so much bravery from those speaking out recently, but I will just as boldly protect myself and my family from those seeking to tarnish my good name. I cannot let these people, in particular, denigrate me while harming the message of thousands of women and others who have suffered and continue to suffer.”