Why Sophia Bush, ‘OTH’ Cast Remain Vocal About Mark Schwahn


Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton
Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock; Picture Press Company/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Standing collectively. The ladies of One Tree Hill first went public with harassment allegations towards creator Mark Schwahn in 2017, and 6 years later, the actresses say it’s essential to maintain speaking about his alleged actions.

“Till there’s some type of change in our trade, I don’t know the way we cease [speaking out],” Hilarie Burton Morgan mentioned on the Monday, April 17, episode of the “Drama Queens” podcast. “The one cause that we made it out is as a result of we had one another.

Cohosts Burton, 40, Sophia Bush and Bethany Pleasure Lenz had been joined by Danneel Ackles (née Harris) to recap the OTH season 4 finale. Whereas discussing the episode, they recalled stress with Schwahn, 56, coming to a boiling level.

The showrunner — whose identify is censored on the podcast — allegedly was rubbing actresses’ shoulders and placing his arms round them between takes, making the ladies really feel uncomfortable, so Burton advised him to cease touching them. He later screamed on the White Collar alum together with her brother, boyfriend and boyfriend’s father within the subsequent room, Burton alleged. Nobody got here in to defend her. Finally, an govt producer got here in to interrupt the stress.

Why Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and 'One Tree Hill' Cast Say They Must Keep Talking About Harassment Allegations

Mark Schwahn
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“What you skilled that night time, the way in which you bought yelled at, that’s precisely the s–t I used to be coping with in Chicago and likewise had a bunch of males who … by no means obtained concerned and by no means stood up,” Bush, 40, mentioned, referring to her four-season stint on Chicago P.D. “And I do know a few of them are mad that I acknowledge that once we discuss this present as effectively, and you understand what? I don’t care. That concern that I’m going to maintain speaking about it higher be what makes you behave higher on each set that we’re on.”

All the hosts have been open about how recalling the behind-the-scenes drama has been each cathartic and irritating. Burton, who performed Peyton Sawyer for six seasons, mentioned she has struggled with having to retell a number of the tales from her time on One Tree Hill for the iHeartRadio podcast, however the Virginia native emphasised that they’ve an essential cause for doing so.

“There was an actress who was on our present who I not too long ago touched base with, and she or he was quieter throughout all of the Me Too stuff,” the Rural Diaries writer shared. “She mentioned, ‘I’m at all times scared that he’s ghostwriting.’ As a result of he was by no means held accountable. As a result of the chief producers of our present by no means publicly mentioned, ‘We received’t do enterprise with him anymore. We’re so sorry to you women.’ As a result of there was by no means any type of closure. Somebody is giving him ghostwriting work someplace, and there’s this concern that we’re going to stroll onto a set sooner or later and be confronted with that.”

Burton continued, “It’s the boogeyman within the closet. To speak about it again and again, I’m making a dedication to proceed speaking about it in order that different showrunners don’t function that approach and so he’s obtained no secure passage, like a ship.”

In November 2017, within the wake of the Me Too motion, the ladies of OTH first detailed Schwahn’s alleged harassment and abuse by way of Selection. After their open letter made headlines, 25 forged and crew members of The Royals shared related allegations about Schwahn, who had created the E! sequence. He was subsequently fired from the drama and has by no means publicly addressed the allegations.

 

On Monday’s episode, Bush claimed that she was advised to restrict her Me Too allegations to at least one present. The actress, who performed Brooke Davis for 9 seasons on The CW drama, abruptly left Chicago P.D. after season 4 in spring 2017.

Why Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and 'One Tree Hill' Cast Say They Must Keep Talking About Harassment Allegations

(L-R) Chad Michael Murray, Sophia Bush, James Lafferty, Tyler Hilton, Bethany Pleasure Lenz and Hilarie Burton
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“I had reps on the time when Me Too was breaking that October,” the Good Sam alum mentioned. “A narrative was popping out about my coworker in Chicago, and executives on the community managed to get that story killed. My rep mentioned to me, ‘You’re gonna have to choose. You possibly can both inform the story about your first boss or you’ll be able to inform the story about your coworker. However you’ll be able to’t inform each as a result of then it seems prefer it’s your fault.’”

Whereas Bush didn’t identify names on the podcast, in November 2017, Chicago P.D. star Jason Beghe was investigated by NBC and Wolf Leisure in 2016 for “inappropriate habits” amid a number of complaints, a few of which included sexual harassment, Deadline reported on the time.

“I’m deeply sorry for my habits, which I do know has been hurtful to my mates and colleagues,” Beghe mentioned in an announcement on the time. “I’ve struggled with anger points for a while, and over the previous 12 months, I’ve been working with a coach to assist me learn to mitigate my mood. It’s an ongoing course of, and it has been a humbling one.”

“It’s a supply of nice satisfaction for me to be a part of Chicago P.D.’s unimaginable forged and crew,” Beghe added. “I’ve personally apologized to anybody who I’ve upset, and I’m dedicated to doing what is critical to make up any harm that I could have brought about.”

For her half, Bush finally opened up concerning the Chicago P.D. drama, alleging on the “Armchair Knowledgeable” podcast in late 2018 that she handled “a constant onslaught barrage of abusive habits” with out naming anybody specifically.

Beghe nonetheless stars within the NBC drama as Sergeant Hank Voight.

When you or somebody you understand have been sexually assaulted, contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673).