‘American Housewife’s Carly Hughes Leaves Series Due to ‘Toxic Environment’
American Housewife‘s Carly Hughes has left the ABC show after four seasons as a series regular, citing a “toxic environment” for the reason behind her decision.
Hughes appeared on the series as Angela, one of Katie’s (Katy Mixon) real Westport mom friends alongside Ali Wong who stars as Doris. According to the actress who spoke with Deadline about her departure, she said, “I was no longer able to work in the toxic environment that was created on American Housewife.”
“I made the decision to leave to protect myself from that type of discrimination,” she continued. “As a black woman in entertainment, I feel the responsibility to stand up for what I deserve, what we all deserve — to be treated equally. I wish the show well, and I am excited for a new chapter and to be able to pursue the opportunities ahead.”
The actress did appear in the Season 5 premiere episode since some portions were filmed before production delays caused by COVID-19, but there are no plans for her to return. While Hughes didn’t provide specific details regarding the discrimination she was subjected to, Deadline did note that following an investigation, series creator Sarah Dunn is no longer actively producing the show and Mark J. Greenberg has since stepped down as one of the show’s line producers.
The series’ showrunners Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz also reportedly took part in sensitivity training. In a statement shared by Deadline from an American Housewife spokesperson, they said, “Carly was a valued member of the cast, and we had hoped she would return to the show this season … The concerns she raised led to positive changes to the workplace and improvements to the culture, but we respect the decision she made to move on. We wish her nothing but the best.”
Known for her roles on Broadway, Hughes has appeared onstage in various productions ranging from Chicago to Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. She isn’t the first casting mixup this season either — American Housewife saw Giselle Eisenberg step in as Anna-Kat after original star Julia Butters exited to pursue other roles.
American Housewife, Wednesdays, 8:30/7:30c, ABC
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