More than 12 hours after former The Rookie co star Afton Williamson posted a bombshell statement on Instagram that she had walked away from the show after being sexually harassed and racially discriminated against, the studios behind the ABC cop dramedy, Entertainment One and ABC Studios, on Sunday afternoon issued separate statements.
“We take claims of this nature very seriously,” said a spokesperson for lead studio eOne, which handles production and any related issues. “We have initiated an independent investigation which is ongoing and as such, it would not be appropriate to comment at this time.”
In their statement, ABC Studios said that eOne in late June “made us aware and informed us that they launched an investigation that is ongoing,” adding, “The safety of working environments is a top priority for us, and we take this matter very seriously.”
In her Instagram post, Williamson, who played John Nolan’s (Nathan Fillion) training officer Talia Bishop on The Rookie, explained why she will not be returning for Season 2. She alleged that she quit the ABC series because of systematic racism/racially charged comments, bullying, and sexual harassment, which remained largely ignored by the producers of the show until the sexual harassment by the head of the hair department escalated to sexual assault at the wrap party and the person was fired.
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