Mark Schwahn Suspended From The Royals Amid Sexual Harrassment Scandal
Published on November 16, 2017.
Update: The Royals actress Alexandra Park has confirmed claims of Mark Schwahn’s inappropriate behavior. “I have a responsibility as someone who was working under Mark Schwahn on The Royals to acknowledge these claims,” Park wrote in a Twitter statement. “I am devastated to admit to myself, to my colleagues, and to this industry that I too, have been exposed to this reprehensible behavior.”
Mark Schwahn, creator and showrunner of The Royals, has been suspended from the series amid sexual harassment claims made against him by the female cast and crew of One Tree Hill.
“E!, Universal Cable Productions and Lionsgate Television take sexual harassment allegations very seriously, investigate them thoroughly and independently, and take appropriate action,” the statement read. “Lionsgate has suspended Mark Schwahn from The Royals as we continue our investigation.”
Earlier this week, One Tree Hill crew member Audrey Wauchope accused Mark of sexual misconduct while they were colleagues on One Tree Hill in a lengthy Twitter post. Following her accusation, 18 cast and crew members of the popular teen drama spoke up in the form of a letter accusing the former showrunner of sexual harassment. Fan favorite female leads such as Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush, Jana Kramer and Bethany Joy Lenz expressed their support for Audrey Wauchope and confirmed her claims. The men of the show, including Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty, also expressed their support for their former female coworkers.
“We are all deeply grateful for Audrey’s courage. For one another. And for every male castmate and crew member who has reached out to our group of women to offer their support these last few days,” the letter stated. “They echo the greater rallying cry that must lead us to change: Believe Women. We are all in this together.”
For more information about the scandal, including all of the One Tree Hill stars who have spoken out, check out these 10 revelations.