Lena Waithe wants Jason Mitchell to be treated differently – Variety



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The creator of "The Chi," Lena Waithe, explained her response to Jason Mitchell's allegations of misconduct during an interview on the radio show "The Breakfast Club" on Thursday.

Mitchell was fired from the movie "The Chi" after accusations of harassment by spectator Ayanna Floyd Davis and co-star Tiffany Boone. The actor was also fired from the movie "Desperados" of Netflix, in addition to being abandoned by all his depictions.

Waithe said in the interview that she was aware of the allegations after filming the film, which had finished season 1 of "The Chi", and that she had taken preventive and corrective measures to handle the situation. She stated that there was intensive sexual harassment training on the set and that she had confronted the actor with the allegations. "There was a conversation during which I called her and I became really real, "she said. "You must be respectful of any woman on the set. You must be respectful of everyone, "she told Mitchell. "Do not treat women differently than you would treat me." Waithe also claimed that Mitchell had never acted inappropriately.

To remedy the situation, Waithe hired a black woman (Floyd Davis) as the star of season 2. She assumed that would lead to a "safer environment" on the set. "I do not regret making a black woman a showrunner. I really regret not letting him have the job of managing all that alone, "she said. In the future, she wants to play a more active role in "The Chi". She said, "Because you look like me, do not mean that you act like me."

When she was pressed on the radio to explain why she did not intervene and fired the actor, Waithe claimed she did not have that authority. "I do not have the power to fire anyone. I do not. I would have liked to be able to do it, she said. "I do not have" The Chi. " I created it. I sold it. I could be fired from the "Chi". It's real. People do not understand that.

According to Waithe, the parties involved solved their problems with the Human Resources Department and agreed to return for the second season, but misconduct issues continued during the filming of the second season of the show. . "Ayanna called me to tell me things were going on but that little had changed in this area. She told me, "You can not touch anyone. You have to sit tight. HR must manage that. & # 39; "

Waithe said that his biggest regret was to withdraw as HR managed the situation. "I I would have liked to be able to contact Tiffany by myself, "she said. "As a black woman, we have to get closer and get rid of the middle man."

She responded to criticisms about her handling of the situation. "Anyone who says that I will be listening to a woman who is abused or harassed and that doing nothing is just wrong is not what I am," she said. "I was trying to empower people to change, but ultimately it was not the answer, I'm always the answer and that's the biggest lesson I've got." I learned from all that. "

And she acknowledged her shortcomings in her handling of the situation. "What I want to do is I wish I could handle the situation differently and do more. What I want to do is take my share, "she said.

The Chicago-based show will continue without Mitchell and Boone for a third season. "Chicago is bigger than one person, bigger than two people, "said Waithe. "[Boone] has an open door coming to define, Jason does not. "

Listen to the entirety of the interview here.

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