Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton React To Firing Of Mark Schwahn: “Justice Is Served”

Former One Tree Hill actresses Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton took to Twitter to voice their opinions about the recent firing of Mark Schwahn for sexual harassment allegations. They welcomed the axing of the One Tree Hill creator and hoped that this served as an example of what should happen when it comes to “predators.”

“43 women came forward. To the ones who did and to the ones who didn’t or couldn’t, I hope this news is a salve to your souls,” tweeted Bush. “To the other predators out there? I hope this is a lesson that sometimes, even if it takes time, justice is served. You’re next.”

In a series of tweets, Burton did not hold back: “The reason we cannot condone “degrees of harassment” is because one day you get your butt or boob grabbed at work. And you laugh it off. You become conditioned. ‘She’s such a good sport’ they say. And then? You meet a Schwahn. A Weinstein.”

She goes on to praise the cast of One Tree Hill and White Collar for showing her how it’s “supposed to be” when it comes to support. But a lot of the focus was placed on her fellow actresses from One Tree Hill saying, “You women are amazing. When I left all those years ago, I could have never anticipated how strong this bond would remain. It’s a good day, gals. Your art matters. It’s what got me here.”

The downfall of Schwahn began when TV writer Audrey Wauchope accused the OTH creator and showrunner of sexual harassment during the time she and her writing partner, Rachel Specter, worked on the CW drama. The duo were soon joined by a number of other former OTH cast and crew members, including Bush, Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz, who signed an open letter detailing harassment by Schwahn. They described being “manipulated psychologically and emotionally,” “put in uncomfortable positions,” “felt physically unsafe” and “threatened” while on the show. The women have received support from their male counterparts, with a number of male OTH stars standing by their colleagues in social media messages.

Soon after the allegations came out, Lionsgate TV suspended creator/executive producer/showrunner  Schwahn from the popular E! series The Royals. The network, producer Lionsgate TV, and Universal Cable Productions announced last week that they have decided to fire him