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New details have emerged surrounding Fred Savage’s abrupt firing from ABC’s reboot of The Wonder Years.
On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter published accounts of six female employees alleging sexual harassment by Savage. The story details the timeline and events that pushed the women to send a complaint to Disney and speak to human resources voicing their concerns.
The women claim in the report that they “saw two very different sides of Savage: a charismatic, seemingly supportive colleague and a far darker, angrier alter ego.” They also claim he “could flip to the latter persona in an instant and in such moments, one says, ‘His eyes would go dead.'” One woman also noted that he never behaved this way in front of actors or executives, who would only “see his absolute perfect, best face.”
One former female employee described a specific encounter she had with Savage at a bar. She claimed Savage was waiting for her as she exited the stall of the women’s restroom. He reportedly proceeded to push her against a wall and “put his mouth on mine very forcefully.”
Another allegation claims that there was a “strangeness” between a young crew member and Savage and other employees “had become concerned.” The young crew member had moved into Savage’s home in Atlanta, and he reportedly brought her gifts and discussed their future. The women who reported Savage claimed their “concern for the younger crewmember was the primary motivator” for speaking up.
Savage has issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter regarding the matter: “Since I was 6 years old, I have worked on hundreds of sets with thousands of people, and have always strived to contribute to an inclusive, safe and supportive work environment,” it read.
“It is devastating to learn that there are co-workers who feel I have fallen short of these goals. While there are some incidents being reported that absolutely did not and could not have happened, any one person who feels hurt or offended by my actions is one person too many,” the statement continued.