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An independent third-party investigation into the allegations of actress Afton Williamson prior to her abrupt exit from ABC The recruit has come to an end and its conclusions exonerate the persons named in the claims.
The investigation, ordered by the production company eOne, was commissioned by the law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, which retained the services of EXTTI, a third-party firm "recognized for its great expertise in investigating allegations of harassment, discrimination and retaliation at the workplace ".
"[W]We concluded that the persons identified in Ms. Williamson's allegations did not conduct themselves illegally or did not demonstrate inappropriate behavior for the workplace, "reads the statement from eOne. "It was also concluded that the executive producers, including the showrunner Alexi Hawley, had addressed issues that they had been briefed promptly and in a fair and reasonable manner."
A spokesman for ABC responded to the full eOne statement (below), saying: "We are pleased that eOne has completed an investigation into the allegations concerning The recruit. We are confident that eOne is taking these issues seriously and will continue to look for the best ways to raise their concerns and address their complaints. "
In a message posted on Instagram on August 4, Williamson – who played Nathan Fillion's trainer Talia Bishop – claimed that from The recruit"The spring 2018 pilot shoot and throughout Season 1, she was" subjected to inappropriate comments by the racist hair department and accused of racism ", as well as the sexual harassment of a recurring guest star (who she finally named). Williamson alleged that the intimidation of the hair department had escalated into sexual assault during the preparatory evening of season 1.
"The HR protocol was never respected as a result of the above reports I gave to my showrunner / EP [Alexi Hawley], and no investigation has ever been opened on any of my claims, "said Williamson in his Instagram post. "Although she was told that" everything was settled "following a meeting she convened in June – involving Hawley, two other producers, her agent and a SAG union representative. -AFTRA – "The investigation had not started yet and season 2 had already started filming. As a result, she said: "I walked. "(Find out how Williamson's character, Talia Bishop, will be writing for Season 2.)
The Hawley showrunner had previously told TVLine that it was very unexpected to leave Williamson. "It's not really up to me to make a personal decision," while ABC Entertainment's president, Karey Burke, admitted to reporters during this summer's press tour that she "did not" not many answers "on the subject.
The complete statement of eOne is:
We are discussing today the findings of the open investigation following the assertions of actor Afton Williamson regarding our series The Rookie. The investigation was commissioned by the law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, which retained the services of the third-party firm EXTTI, known for its expertise in investigating allegations of harassment, discrimination and discrimination. retaliation at the workplace.
We take all allegations of inappropriate behavior very seriously, especially when they involve discrimination or sexual harassment of any kind. We appreciate the cooperation of all interviewees, including Ms. Williamson, the individuals she named by name and several other production members and relevant staff..
The investigation required close to 400 hours of interviews and examination of evidence, covering a considerable number of documents, including videos, that were provided to the investigator and reviewed by the investigator. As a result of the independent investigation, we concluded that the persons identified in Ms. Williamson's allegations did not engage in unlawful conduct or demonstrated inappropriate behavior in the workplace. It was also concluded that the executive producers, including the showrunner Alexi Hawley, were addressing issues that they had been briefed promptly and fairly and reasonably..
We recognize and respect the fact that as individuals, the lens through which we perceive situations, interactions and comments may differ according to our experiences and perspectives. As such, we regret that Ms. Williamson's time in the series was not positive for her and we respect her decision to move on to other projects.
We continue to focus on creating a safe and respectful work environment for all our business and production employees and further strengthen our policies and procedures. To protect the privacy of all interviewees, the investigator's report will not be made public..
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