ABC And Lost Being Sued For Sexual Harassment
A ten year employee of ABC filed a lawsuit on Friday which alleges that Henry Ian Cusick fondled her breasts and butt and kissed her on the lips back in October 2007. This was not something she wanted and so let her supervisor know, which is the most important thing you can do besides saying no if you are ever sexually harassed. Oh, and be sure to follow the procedures exactly as they appear in your employee handbook and write everything down. OK, enough about that. The woman working for ABC told her supervisor what happened and he told her to avoid the actor. 12 days later she was fired. Well, that is because Chelsea Stone was just a ten year employee and not a star on a hit television show.
If her allegations are true, ABC is in for a world of hurt. This isn't some extra who was on the set for a day that ABC can try and portray as some money hungry person looking to cause trouble. Chelsea Stone worked for ABC for ten years. Ten years is a long damn time in Hollywood to work for one company. Then she complained about a star, and she was gone. Just like that. A ten year career wiped out just because some ass decided he wanted to grope her and probably felt like nothing would happen to him. It took 18 months, but something did happen. I also hope he spent the entire weekend being yelled at by his wife about this incident. Oh yeah, he is married. He has three kids with her as well.
He's a pig, of course, but I can't believe the suits were dumb enough to fire her.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to think about this. At first I was in the camp of "I'd pay to have him do that to me," but I guess if he is an entitled douche in real life then good for her. However, the fact that the studio just fired her sounds fishy. Are they really that dumb? Did they try to offer her compensation, but she wanted more and/or publicity? Hopefully, more details will come out soon.
ReplyDeleteI notice, though, that her suit is civil and not criminal. That smells bad. So does the firing. Seems something's not right here. I can't wait for this whole thing to shake out, as it sounds from here like a shakedown.
ReplyDeleteI hope if this is true she crews both the actor and ABC.
ReplyDeletea criminal charge would be pretty impossible---that's why there isn't one. it's a he said/she said thing. she followed the proper procedure and was rewarded by getting fired.
ReplyDeletei hope ABC has to pay if the facts are what i've read here. jerk.
Jillian you said the fact that the studio just fired her sounds fishy.
ReplyDeleteNot really, in many cases management and HR don't want to deal with sexual harassment complaints. They would rather get rid of the "complainer" especially if they feel the harasser is indispensable.
I hope this woman can prove and win her case.
Binky: employment discrimination and sexual harassment aren't crimes. They're torts, for which you can recover damages.
ReplyDeleteFor there to be a crime, it would have to rise to the level of assault or battery, and nothing in this situation indicates that. (While it was unwanted touching, it wasn't touching that causet or threatened to cause immediate bodily harm.)
I, too, suspect that there is more to this story. Which is why these things get heard in court, of course!
wait&see!
ReplyDeleteNo! Not Desmond!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds familiar was it a BI?
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to think of this. I'd hate to think he did this but if he did, good for her for not backing down.
ReplyDeleteHarriet, you took the words right out of my mouth - er, off of my fingertips? You know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteDamn.
i don't think he did it, quite frankly. or rather, if there was anything, it didn't happen on the set. and if it wasn't on the set, then why was she with him elsewhere?
ReplyDeletei think someone was a victim of cutbacks, and had an ace in the hole to whip out in case of an emergency. yup.
I just hate the thought that this happened. I LOVE LOST! Desmond was one of my favorite people on it. I'd hate to think he was a perv in the real world.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say good for her if this is true and she stuck to her guns. She's a better woman then I am because I would just have kicked the snot out of him or ridiculed his ass.
Did I say how much this disappoints me in Desmond? (SIGH) :(
I'm surprised this item is seeing the light of day. There are so many disgusting actors and actresses out there that harrass the people who are staffed to work for them. Most get bought off so that we (the viewing public)never know who they really are beneath the written characters we have come to love. Desmond is a great character and if he is around for season 6, I hope I can distinguish that he is a fictional character and not get sick to my stomach thinking of Cusick as a drunk pervert.
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