Fred Savage was sacked from the Wonder Years revival, according to six people who have come forward, because he was harassing female crew members sexually.
The married father of three, who gained notoriety after appearing in the 1988 film Wonder Years, was fired from directing the follow-up on May 6.
Disney gave no more explanation, noting only “allegations of improper behaviour.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the women who made those accusations want the whole story to come out.
They claim that Savage, 46, moved a young female crew worker into his Atlanta home and followed another into a bathroom where she placed her hands on his crotch.
Page Six said that Savage was being supported by friends and family, including his wife of 18 years, Jennifer Lynn Stone, when the news of his termination initially surfaced.
The women came forward to make their charges, which Savage has rejected, in response to the piece.
One of the women added, “I and the other ladies believe that people need to know what the wrongdoing was.”
Savage responded to the charges by saying, “Since I was six years old, I have worked on hundreds of sets with thousands of people, and I have always attempted to contribute to an inclusive, safe, and supportive work environment. I deny many of the allegations made against me.”
It is heartbreaking to find that some coworkers believe I have not achieved my objectives.
Even when some incidences that have been claimed simply did not occur and could not have occurred are being reported, any one individual who feels harmed or offended by my conduct is one too many.
Nothing in this world is more important to me than being a helpful coworker, friend, spouse, parent, and person. I will endeavour to acknowledge and correct any conduct that has adversely impacted anybody.
The six women, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern for their jobs, said that Savage had two personalities that alternated constantly: a warm and charming director and a dark and antagonistic side.
The ladies said that despite Savage seeming to be happy and upbeat during filming, there were occasions when he would verbally abuse “below-the-line personnel who don’t have authority.”
Several of the ladies said they were suspicious of Savage’s connection with a young crew member and that Savage’s residence in Atlanta’s Cabbagetown area changed once the young lady moved in.
One lady told THR that the young crew member informed her that Savage was purchasing her present and spoke about a possible future together.
Despite the purported relationship, a number of women claimed to have seen Savage being “very controlling of her daily habits,” referring to him as “manipulative and unstable.”
They said that things deteriorated to the point when one of them attempted to protect the young crew member from Savage.
At that point, the woman told THR, “he continued to verbally abuse me and degrade me.”
Another lady claims that after becoming friends with Savage on the set, he asked her to meals and gave her pricey presents, but she turned them down.
The lady alleges Savage promised to support her comedy and writing career, but last year she was unceremoniously booted off the set.
Then, in December 2021, she claimed Savage had assaulted her after she accepted an invitation to a group excursion at a bar in Astoria, Georgia.
The lady says she was in the restroom when Savage barged in, prompting her to urge him to leave as she tried to laugh it off.
She said that Savage instead had “dead eyes” as he reportedly pulled her up against the wall and began to molest and violently kiss her.
She told THR, “I implored, ‘Please, don’t do this. I intended to destroy the friendship. I was appealing, not so much out of dread as because there was no turning back.
He pressed his lips firmly on mine. He attempted to grab my pant top. I brushed him off,” she continued.
He then placed his lips back on mine, grabbed my hand, and dragged it toward his crotch.
I was retreating. He abruptly came to a halt. In order for me to go, I shoulder checked him.
She said that Savage departed the party with the young crew member he was reportedly living with after coming out of the restroom.
The lady said that after the encounter, Savage texted her repeatedly to meet up and left an apology message.
He reportedly said, “It’s your old pal Fred.” We collaborated for a time, then we stopped, and I became a major a**hole. Big time a**hole.
And I apologise profusely. The reality is that I genuinely like you and want to be friends, so I’m sorry that I messed things up. And I’ve sort of owed you an apology for a minute here.
The dispute that Savage is now involved in is not his first. Costumer Youngjoo Hwang filed a lawsuit against him in 2018 on the grounds that he had harassed and attacked her while they were working on the TV drama The Grinder.
According to Hwang, Savage had a “volatile and angry attitude as it pertained to the female staff” and had “violently hit” her three times, according to court filings.
I’m not a dog, cease f***ing following me, “Don’t ever ever f***ing look at me again,” and “Get the f*** away from me,” Savage allegedly yelled at female crew members while they were doing their job responsibilities, according to Page Six.
Savage, who later reached a settlement, had referred to the allegations as “totally without substance and entirely false” and had been exonerated at the time by a 20th Century Television investigation.
His former on-screen mother Alley Mills alleged four years ago that the termination of the first season of The Wonder Years was due to a sexual harassment case brought against Savage and Jason Hervey, which she said was resolved out of court.
On the scene, costumer Monique Long was employed by the 16-year-old who was accused of sexual harassment.
According to Deadline, she claimed that Hervey and Savage had “verbally and physically harassed her.”