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CBS backs Michael Weatherly, as Spielberg backs out of Bull.

Network addresses show renewal following sexual harassment allegations against its star.

This week following US Upfronts, CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl addressed the network decision to renew Bull despite sexual harassment allegations against star Michael Weatherly.

In January CBS made a $9.5m ($AU13.4m) settlement with actress Eliza Dushku when she was fired from a recurring role after informing producers of Weatherly’s inappropriate behaviour on the set.

Weatherly publicly apologised for his comments, indicating his behaviour was “both not funny and not appropriate,” adding that he was “sorry” and he regretted the pain he had caused.

“When we were looking at a decision and what to do with Bull, what happened was something that a lot of us didn’t know about. So, when it came time to make a decision, we wanted to look at it through a fresh lens and new eyes. We wanted to reassess and look at what happened,” Kahl said.

He admitted that Weatherly made a mistake but that he “owned” that mistake.

“He’s indicated to us that he’s willing to take coaching and training that we deem necessary for him to create a positive environment on the set. We looked at the totality of his work on CBS. He’s been with CBS for 14 years and there were no complaints before and none after. He took everything seriously and wants to move forward. He wants to make it better.”

Last week, Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television pulled out of the show.

Bull screens in Australia on 10.

Source: Deadline

2 Responses

  1. It’s interesting that Michael Weatherly has been with CBS for 14 years with no complaints but now according to CBS he has to confront his own personal issues, taking coaching and training to create a positive environment on set and also presumably appear more contrite. This is classic Hollywood PR damage control.
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    1. Sexual jokes and needling that you could get away with until 2018, will you can’t in 2019. Though female cast members from NCIS have publicly defended Weatherly and said his character was always exemplorily. Dushu was not fired. She was offered a short 3 ep. recurring guest role at the end of S1. Part of the attempt to liven up a show that rather formulaic and predictable in S1. In the end they replaced the show-runner and cut out the blatant jury tampering bits that always won the day. Dushku was not offered a role in S2 and alleged she had been told she might get a role in S2 if it was successful, and that she didn’t because she made a complaint of sexual harassment that was not resolved to her satisfaction. CBS did not handle this well, and settled with Dushku. No reason why the show can’t continue without Amblin if that is what CBS wants. This is was the only complaint made…

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