Michael Weatherly.Photo: Desiree Navarro/WireImage
CBS has addressed the controversial decision to renewBullfollowingsexual harassment allegationsagainst starMichael Weatherly.
According toEntertainment Weekly, CBS entertainment president Kelly Kahl defended his decision to keepBullon the air at the network’s press upfronts presentation in New York City on Wednesday, saying Weatherly is “honest in his remorse,” adding, “We personally believe he can make a mistake and he admitted to that mistake.”
“What happened was something that a lot of us didn’t know about,” Kahl said. “We found out when you found out. When it came time to make a decision, we looked at it through a fresh lens, with new eyes, because a lot of us were learning about it for a first time. We reassessed what happened.”
According to theTimes, Dushku was suddenly written off ofBullafter she confronted Weatherly about the alleged incidents. She was awarded a$9.5 million settlementin December, about the same amount she would have made as aBullcast member for four seasons.
Weatherly told theTimeshe regrets what he said and how he made his costar feel.
“During the course of taping our show, I made some jokes mocking some lines in the script,” he said in a statement at the time. “When Eliza told me that she wasn’t comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized. After reflecting on this further, I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza.”
Barbara Nitke/CBS via Getty
On Wednesday, Kahl said thoughBullremains on the air, the network has put a number of safeguards in place to protect potential victims in the future — including an anonymous phone line and email address to lodge complaints, and having “trained HR professionals visiting all our sets on a regular basis,” according toEW.
Weatherly’s long relationship with CBS was also taken into consideration.
source: people.com
