A confidential settlement CBS paid to actor Eliza Dushku has been unveiled after an investigation was conducted into a potential pattern of sexual harassment at the network surrounding former boss Les Moonves. Dushku was hired to be a regular on the series Bull , but filed suit after being harassed repeatedly on set by actor and series star Michael Weatherly.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Dushku was hired to play the love interest of Weatherly’s character on the CBS series, but was quickly written out after she complained about harassment on the set. After mediation, Dushku received a confidential settlement of $9.5 million, according to CBS.
The payment was discovered after an investigation was done into the network by two law firms who attempted to determine the situation left behind after sexual misconduct allegations against Les Moonves, who was fired in September. After the settlement was discovered, CBS issued a statement.
“The allegations in Ms. Dushku’s claims are an example that, while we remain committed to a culture defined by a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace, our work is far from done. The settlement of these claims reflects the projected amount that Ms. Dushku would have received for the balance of her contract as a series regular, and was determined in a mutually agreed upon mediation process at the time.”
CBS paid $9.5M settlement to Eliza Dushku after she confronted ‘Bull’ star Michael Weatherly about sexual harassment: report https://t.co/cV3lWFkgdC pic.twitter.com/3d8Lf02mVV
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) December 14, 2018
As a result of the confidential settlement coming to light, Michael Weatherly also issued a public apology for his behavior.
“During the course of taping our show, I made some jokes mocking some lines in the script. When Eliza told me that she wasn’t comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized. After reflecting on this further, I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza.”
Dushku says that the pattern of harassment took place in front of the rest of the cast and left her “humiliated.”
Weatherly called her “leg,” joked that he would pull her over his lap and spank her, and asked if she’d like to join him for a threesome. The Bull actor also made jokes about a rape van.
Weatherly explained that the rape van comment was in reference to a line in the script.
“The scripted line in that scene was, ‘Hey, young lady, step into my windowless van. I didn’t particularly like that line, so I joked, in order to highlight how distasteful the emphasis of the line was, about a rape van.”
Weatherly denies he pushed for Dushku to be written out of the series.
