No Inappropriate Behavior on the Sets of 'The Rookie' - Update on Afton Williamson's Allegations

The #MeToo movement seemingly picked up yet again a month or so ago, when actress Afton Williamson came out in the open and posted on her instagram about allegations on her co-star from the series, The Rookie.

Williamson (The Night Of, Banshee), who starred in the Nathan Fillion-led series' first season, announced in July that she wouldn't be returning. The actress wrote in an Instagram post in early August that she was the target of "racially charged inappropriate comments" from the show's hair department and executive producers and that she was sexually harassed by recurring actor Demetrius Grosse. Williamson also alleged she told showrunner Alexi Hawley about the issues, but Hawley never relayed her concerns to human resources. She also said the show's hair department head sexually assaulted her at the season one wrap party.

"This season on The Rookie, I was sexually harassed by fellow actor Demetrius Grosse," Williamson wrote on Instagram. "I was racially bullied and discriminated against and sexually assaulted by Hair Department Head Sally Nicole Ciganovich."

However, Entertainment One has released a full statement on how the investigation is being carried out on the issue where no "unlawful" behavior was found by people Williamson said harassed her.

Here is the full statement-

We are today addressing the findings of the investigation initiated as a result of the claims made by actor Afton Williamson regarding our series The Rookie. The investigation was commissioned via law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP who engaged third-party firm EXTTI, recognized for their extensive expertise in investigating allegations of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the workplace. 

We take all allegations of inappropriate conduct very seriously, particularly when the allegations involve discrimination or sexual harassment of any nature. We appreciate the cooperation of all those who were interviewed, including Ms. Williamson, the individuals she identified by name, and several other relevant production and staff members.

The investigation encompassed nearly 400 hours of interviews and review of evidence, involving a significant amount of material, including video, that was provided to and examined by the investigator. As a result of the independent investigation, we have concluded that those identified in Ms. Williamson’s allegations did not conduct themselves in an unlawful manner or demonstrate behavior inappropriate for the workplace.  It was also concluded that the executive producers, including showrunner Alexi Hawley, addressed matters of which they were made aware promptly and in a fair and reasonable manner.  

We recognize and respect that as individuals, the lens through which we view situations, interactions, and comments, can differ based on our experiences and perspectives.  As such, we regret that Ms. Williamson’s time on the series was not a positive one for her, and we respect her decision to move on to other projects. 

We continue to focus on fostering a safe and respectful work environment for all our corporate and production employees and further reinforce our policies and procedures. To protect the privacy of all those interviewed, the investigator’s report will not be available publicly.