Producer of ‘Arrow,’ ‘The Flash’ suspended over sexual misconduct claims
Andrew Kreisberg is latest leading Hollywood figure to be accused of inappropriate behavior towards women
Warner Bros. has suspended a top television producer over allegations he sexually harassed a number of women.
Andrew Kreisberg, who is Jewish, is the co-creator of successful comic book-based TV shows ‘The Flash,’ ‘Arrow,’ ‘Supergirl’ and ‘Legends of Tomorrow.’
Variety spoke with 19 individuals who accused Kreisberg of harassing women under his employ on multiple occasions, including touching them and speaking to them in an inappropriate manner. Kreisberg would allegedly ask female employees for massages and kissed women without their consent. He also allegedly commented often on female employee’s appearance and attractiveness.
In light of the allegations, Warner Bros TV Group has suspended Kreisberg as it investigates the claims.
“We have recently been made aware of allegations of misconduct against Andrew Kreisberg,” the company said in a statement. “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.”
Kreisberg himself has rejected the allegations.
“I have made comments on women’s appearances and clothes in my capacity as an executive producer, but they were not sexualized,” he told Variety. “Like many people, I have given someone a non-sexual hug or kiss on the cheek.”
Stories of sexual misconduct and harassment in the entertainment world have ballooned in recent weeks as more and more allegations surface against some of the biggest names in the industry.
On Friday comedian Louis C.K. confessed to masturbating in front of colleagues and other acts of sexual misconduct, and expressed remorse for wielding his influence “irresponsibly.”
His story was only the latest case of a high-profile man caught in a flood of accusations that began after an October report in the New York Times alleging that Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed or assaulted several women. Others who face sexual harassment or assault accusations include “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey and filmmaker Brett Ratner.
The widening allegations have also reached former “Gossip Girl” actor Ed Westwick.
“ER” actor Anthony Edwards has claimed he was molested when he was 12 by director and producer Gary Goddard.
Actor Jeremy Piven has been accused of sexual misconduct. Piven took to social media to declare his innocence, saying on Twitter he hopes the string of sexual harassment allegations will lead to “a constructive dialogue on these issues” but warned about “false accusations.”
“We seem to be entering dark times — allegations are being printed as facts and lives are being put in jeopardy without a hearing, due process or evidence. I hope we can give people the benefit of the doubt before we rush to judgment,” he wrote.
The crisis has also roiled the world of journalism, with editors at The New Republic and NPR losing their jobs. The latest accusation involved Rolling Stone: Ben Ryan, a freelance writer, accused the magazine’s publisher, Jann Wenner, of sexual harassment, saying Wenner offered a writing contract if Ryan spent the night at the publisher’s Manhattan townhouse. Wenner acknowledges he did attempt to have a sexual liaison but denied offering a writing contract for sex.
In other developments, Jenny McCarthy also reiterated an allegation she made against actor Steven Seagal, saying she fled from a 1995 audition with Seagal after he repeatedly asked her to take off her clothes for a part that didn’t require nudity.
McCarthy recounted her encounter with Seagal during a tryout for “Under Siege 2” on her Sirius XM radio show Thursday, a day after actress Portia de Rossi accused Seagal of unzipping his pants during an audition.
AP contributed to this report.
