’The Rookie’ Producer Claims Afton Williamson’s Sexual Misconduct & Racism Allegations Were Unfounded; Actress Responds

An independent investigation into the claims made by actress Afton Williamson alleging misconduct on the set of ‘The Rookie,’ weren’t substantiated by an independent investigator, according to production company Entertainment One. 

The investigation reportedly started back in late June and involved around 400 hours of interviews and review of video and other evidence, according to Entertainment One. The production company announced Tuesday that the investigation led it to conclude that no unlawful or inappropriate behavior was committed by the co-workers accused by Williamson.

Entertainment One reports that the executive producers, including one who was accused by Williamson of mishandling her allegations, were found to have, “addressed matters of which they were made aware promptly and in a fair and reasonable manner.”

‘The Rookie’ co-star announced August 4 on Instagram that she was quitting the show because of sexual harassment and racial discrimination she experienced during the show’s first season. The actor made it clear that executive producers did nothing to address her concerns until long after the fact. She said in part, “The Sexual Harassment though reported directly to the Showrunner/EP remained undocumented and was not reported to HR as promised. The Hair Dept. Head was fired ONLY after the sexual assault and NOT for an entire year of outward racism/racially charged language and bullying behavior in and out of the Hair and Makeup trailer.”

After the announcement of the dismissal of Williamson’s claims, she took to Instagram to share that the news is “heartbreaking,” adding that what saddens her 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.”