Actress Afton Williamson adopted a scorched-earth policy on her way off the set of the ABC hit show “The Rookie,” as she publicly names her alleged sexual and racial harassment abusers.
Williamson returned to the place where she dropped the first bomb about “The Rookie” on Sunday: Instagram. And by doing so, Williamson put “The Rookie” showrunner Alexi Hawley on full blast for allegedly failing to report the multiple cases of racial harassment and bullying that she said she’d endured for an entire year.
Just as ABC Network assured the media that Williamson’s cases are being investigated and that the perpetrators will be dealt with, if they are guilty, Williamson went nuclear on the show. She named the cast and crew members responsible for harassing her racially and sexually.
“This season on The Rookie, I was sexually harassed by fellow actor Demetrius Grosse. I was Racially Bullied and Discriminated against and Sexually Assaulted by Hair Department Head Sally Nicole Ciganovich,” Williamson said on Instagram. And you swear you can almost hear claps of thunder going off in the distance.
“Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers,” Williamson originally wrote Sunday of the Nathan Fillion-led series. “During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. Head escalated into Sexual Assault at our Wrap party.”
Williamson said her claims of sex and racial harassment were not forwarded by Hawley to HR, and she was repeatedly asked to continue filming with the guest star in question. Not only that, but “The Hair Dept. Head was fired ONLY after the sexual assault and NOT for an entire year of outward racism/racially charged language and bullying behavior in and out of the Hair and Makeup trailer,” Williamson said on Instagram.
After being contacted for comment by Vanity Fair, ABC Studios representatives offered that: “The allegations involve a production from Entertainment One. In late June, eOne made us aware and informed us that they launched an investigation that is ongoing. The safety of working environments is a top priority for us, and we take this matter very seriously.”
Accordingly, Entertainment One stated simultaneously that: “We take claims of this nature very seriously. We have initiated an independent investigation which is ongoing and as such, it would not be appropriate to comment at this time.”
When word that Williamson quit reached the set of the TV show, showrunner Hawley told TVLine, “It’s not really my place to get into her personal decision.”
Take a look at Williamson’s lengthy IG post where she names her alleged tormentors.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zUPdrFxaq/
