CBS Paid ‘Bull’ Star Eliza Dushku $9.5 Million to Settle Harassment Claim Against Michael Weatherly
On Thursday, the New York Times released a bombshell new report revealing that during Season 1 of Bull, CBS paid former cast member Eliza Dushku $9.5 million dollars to resolve claims that she was written off the legal drama for confronting star Michael Weatherly for his alleged inappropriate behavior on set.
The actress, who joined the series late in the first season as defense attorney J.P. Nunnelly, claims the NCIS alum made uncomfortable and demeaning comments about her appearance. The report details that he joked about having a threesome with her and a male crew member, said “here comes legs” when she walked on set, and made a reference to bending her over his knee to spank her in front of the cast and crew. The notes from the internal CBS investigation said that Dushku felt “disgusted and violated.”
Initially, Dushku confronted Weatherly about the behavior, and soon after, she was written off of the show. She had already filmed three episodes on the series and was intended to have a series regular role in the second season.
After that, she entered mediation with the network as she believed she was a victim of retaliation for speaking up against the lead of the series. Ultimately, CBS agreed to a confidential settlement of $9.5 million, or the equivalent of what Dushku would’ve earned as a full-time cast member for four more seasons.
CBS confirmed the settlement in a statement: “The allegations in Ms. Dushku’s claims are an example that, while we remain committed to a culture defined by a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace, our work is far from done. The settlement of these claims reflects the projected amount that Ms. Dushku would have received for the balance of her contract as a series regular, and was determined in a mutually agreed upon mediation process at the time.”
Eliza Dushku as J.P. Nunnelly and Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull (David Giesbrecht/CBS)
Weatherly also responded via an emailed statement to The Times, apologizing for his behavior toward his former cast mate. “During the course of taping our show, I made some jokes mocking some lines in the script,” he writes. “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.”
The actor did, however, deny having any part in having Dushku written off of the show. “It’s my recollection that I didn’t tell anyone how they should do their job regarding the hiring or firing of anybody,” he adds.
Conversation9 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Comments are closed on this story.
-
G
This is the comment I posted on Soaphub earlier that got over 60 likes & then was removed!
Sorry, but I think we're becoming a nation of cry babies. I waitressed for over 20 yrs as well as worked in convenience stores. Sexual Harassment is having your boss corner you naked in the stock room. It's having to stand on a table & scream for help because a drunk customer is trying to grab you. Off color jokes & comments fly on a daily basis in every restaurant I ever worked in. They are stress relievers. Both men & women participate. If its offensive to you just say that & walk away. Or get a sense of humor. And this is being written by a very liberal 59 year old woman.
4 1
-
B
You should read the NYT story. If you had actually done so, you would have learned that there was video evidencing that she was harassed. Mediators don't award such a large amount unless there was a really serious problem.
-
G
I don’t think the issue is what you think it is. Check out the NYT article. She spoke to MW, and after that she was fired. I think she was willing to continue working, but wasn’t given the chance.
-
G
They didn't award her damages. She was let go and the $$ were for the episodes not filmed. NO damages for sexual harrassment because there was none.
-
B
Did you READ the NYT article?
"In a statement on Wednesday, CBS confirmed the settlement and pledged to improve working conditions.'The allegations in Ms. Dushku’s claims are an example that, while we remain committed to a culture defined by a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace, our work is far from done,' the statement said. 'The settlement of these claims reflects the projected amount that Ms. Dushku would have received for the balance of her contract as a series regular, and was determined in a mutually agreed upon mediation process at the time.'"
"Shortly after Ms. Dushku confronted the star about his behavior, she was written off the show. She believed her time on “Bull” came to a sudden end as a result of retaliation."
"After she went through mediation with CBS, the company agreed to a confidential settlement that would pay her $9.5 million, roughly the equivalent of what Ms. Dushku would have earned if she had stayed on as a cast member for four seasons."
"Mr. Engstrom handed over outtakes from “Bull” in the belief that they would help the company’s cause, because they showed Ms. Dushku cursing on the set, investigators wrote in the draft of their report."
"The strategy backfired. The outtakes were a “gold mine” for Ms. Dushku, the lawyers wrote, because they “actually captured some of the harassment on film.”
-
-
R
While I tend to believe Weatherly's comments, I always get a little suspicious when people say "it's my recollection..." or "to the best of my recollection...."
1
-
G
Yeah that sounded a bit too slick.
-
-
B
Good for Ms. Dushku for standing up for herself. I hope Mr. Weatherly has learned a lesson about how to treat women with respect. I doubt it, but one never knows.
3 2
-
G
Maybe Joss Whedon could set up Ms. Dushku for another series...
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services