It has been less than six weeks since former The Rookie co-star, Afton Williamson, made stunning claims of sexual misconduct and racism that allegedly was leveled against her during her time on the show. Williamson left the series after one season due to these claims which prompted producing company eOne to launch an internal investigation. That investigation has now been completed and eOne is now rejecting Williamson’s claims.
Here is what eOne said in a statement:
“As a result of the independent investigation, we have concluded that those identified in Ms. Williamson’s allegations did not conduct themselves in an unlawful manner or demonstrate behavior inappropriate for the workplace. It was also concluded that the executive producers, including showrunner Alexi Hawley, addressed matters of which they were made aware promptly and in a fair and reasonable manner. We recognize and respect that as individuals, the lens through which we view situations, interactions and comments, can differ based on our experiences and perspectives. As such, we regret that Ms. Williamson’s time on the series was not a positive one for her, and we respect her decision to move on to other projects.”
Williamson’s allegations were made public with an Instagram post on August 4. The actress stated that she had been subjected to multiple incidents of inappropriate behavior from members of the crew and a guest star. The actor made a point of claiming that EPs did nothing to address her concerns until well after the fact.
ABC commented on the incident when it first went public and said that in late June, eOne “made us aware and informed us that they launched an investigation that is ongoing.” The studio added, “the safety of working environments is a top priority for us, and we take this matter very seriously.” ABC had this to say about the conclusion of the investigation:
“We are glad that eOne has completed an investigation into allegations on the set of The Rookie. We are confident that eOne takes these matters seriously and that they will continue to look for the best ways to surface concerns and address complaints.”
After the story broke about the conclusions of the eOne investigation, Williamson also broke her silence about their findings:
“What saddens me the most is that the lengths that were taken to Deceive, Lie, and Cover Up the Truth, were far greater than those made to Protect and Maintain a Safe Working Environment for Employees.”
Williamson’s full Instagram post can be seen below while season two of The Rookie is set to premiere on September 29.
