Warner Bros said it has suspended Andrew Kreisberg, an executive producer of TV series including Arrow and Supergirl, after it became aware of allegations of misconduct.
The studio said it is conducting a internal investigation of the charges. Berlanti Productions, which produces the shows with Warner Bros., said it is encouraging and fully cooperating with the investigation.
The suspension is the latest case of a senior Hollywood figure being accused of sexual harassment or improper behavior by women and losing his position as a result.
The latest wave began with producer Harvey Weinstein and has included Amazon Studios head Roy Price, actor Kevin Spacey and comedian Louis C.K.
According to Variety, Kreisberg was accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate physical contact by 15 women and four men who worked with him. None agreed to be named and many still work on the shows that Kreisberg headed.
Variety reported that according to sources who either witnessed this behavior or were subjected to it, Kreisberg is accused of frequently touching people without their permission, asking for massages from uncomfortable female staff members, and kissing women without asking. Almost every source cites a constant stream of sexualized comments about women’s appearances, their clothes, and their perceived desirability.
Related: FX Says It Received No Harassment Allegations Against Louis C.K.
Kreisberg told Variety, “I have made comments on women’s appearances and clothes in my capacity as an executive producer, but they were not sexualized. Like many people, I have given someone a non-sexual hug or kiss on the cheek.” He denied that any inappropriate touching or massages occurred.
Here is the full statement from Warner Bros.:
We have recently been made aware of allegations of misconduct against Andrew Kreisberg. We have suspended Mr. Kreisberg and are conducting an internal investigation. We take all allegations of misconduct extremely seriously, and are committed to creating a safe working environment for our employees and everyone involved in our productions.
Here is the statement from Berlanti Productions:
We were recently made aware of some deeply troubling allegations regarding one of our showrunners. We have been encouraging and fully cooperating with the investigation into this by Warner Bros.
There is nothing more important to us than the safety and well-being of our cast, crew, writers, producers and any staff. We do not tolerate harassment and are committed to doing everything we can to make an environment that’s safe to work in and safe to speak up about if it isn’t.
(Photo by Glen Bowman's Flickr. Photo was taken on April 7, 2015 and used per Creative Commons license 2.0. The photo was cropped to fit 16x9 aspect ratio.)
