Fred Savage is 45 years old. People my age know him best as a child actor, from his Wonder Years days. Younger people likely know him from Boy Meets World or any of his adult-actor work. I was surprised when I looked at his IMDB – he’s worked steadily since The Wonder Years, not just as an actor but as a prolific episodic television director. Well, in 2021, he signed on to produce and direct the reboot of The Wonder Years on ABC. Network television, big budget, big expectations. And Fred Savage just got himself fired from the show after there were three separate incidents/complaints about his behavior.
Fred Savage has been let go from his roles as executive producer and director of ABC’s revived The Wonder Years following an investigation into misconduct, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Savage faced three separate allegations and cooperated with the investigation, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
“Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched,” Wonder Years producer 20th Television said in a statement. “Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of The Wonder Years.”
Savage’s team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Though he had dabbled as an actor in recent years, with starring roles on Fox’s The Grinder and Netflix’s Friends From College, Savage has been considerably more active as a director over the last decade or two. After his star-making turn on the original The Wonder Years that premiered in 1988, Savage was the directing producer on creator Saladin K. Patterson’s series that launched in 2021, which Savage was intimately involved in from inception.
In March 2018, Youngjoo Hwang, a costumer on The Grinder, sued Savage and Fox, with claims including that he hit her arm and yelled at her not to touch him while she was dusting his outfit on set, and that he engendered a hostile environment for women. At the time, Fox shared a statement saying that a thorough investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing.
When this story broke, I vaguely remembered rumors about his short temper and bad treatment of coworkers, but I had forgotten the specifics. While THR notes the 2018 lawsuit, it’s worth pointing out that most of icky feelings people have about Savage are based on years of rumors – as in, before #MeToo, there were actors and producers (mostly women) trying to warn people about how much he sucks. Anyway, it sounds like Fred Savage is yet another abusive a–hole who didn’t realize that he can’t pull that sh-t anymore. I’m glad ABC took care of him. There seems to be so much of that happening these days – studios, networks and producers taking complaints seriously and doing something about the douchebags. It warms my cold, dead heart.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Fred Savage at the 37th College Television Awards, Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA 05-25-16,Image: 530912985, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Martin Sloan / Avalon
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- Fred Savage at the Television Academy’s 70th Anniversary Celebration Gala, Television Academy, North Hollywood, CA 06-02-16 .com 818-249-4998,Image: 531090175, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Martin Sloan / Avalon
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- Fred Savage at the Television Academy’s 70th Anniversary Celebration Gala, Television Academy, North Hollywood, CA 06-02-16 .com 818-249-4998,Image: 531090207, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Martin Sloan / Avalon
I agree. It’s really good to see film and TV companies act swiftly and decisively on these complaints of harassment and abuse. It’s just unfortunate that he was allowed to get away with this behaviour for so long.
I didn’t hear the earlier rumors… Fred Savage was my first crush! I can hear his voice and cadence of speech so clearly in my head; even as an adult he had a distinctive tone. I’m bummed he’s the worst, but hopefully we keep exposing and creating accountability.
I’m with you on the old memories. I’m in Australia and I haven’t heard of him for years and years, but I was thinking about him only the other night, and up he pops! It’s good to hear of another word place doing the right thing and weeding out these garbage people.
Having read the article twice, what did he actually do that was inappropriate? The article mentions a hostile work environment but what does that mean? I would hope that he was not fired on innuendo but actual facts. If he were a female, I would be asking the same question. Facts. Who did what to who?
Lol only a man calls women “female” in this context you gave yourself away there, “Julia”.
Do you assume that he just got fired over rumors? Not every article is going to spend time calling out every single detail or naming names. By assuming they are firing him over simply innuendos and that’s not enough then you’re also assuming the women are lying. Ever ask yourself why that is?
Hey Laura, very much a female here. Back in my days of being employed I was on the receiving end of rumor, innuendo and ” icky” feelings. Not one fact, just nasty rumors spread by an employee whose employment was terminated due to her having been caught stealing. I am very sensitive now to someone being treated in the same manner, as I know the helpless feeling of not having a platform to defend myself. What happened to this site being a place where no one is ridiculed for their thoughts? So very disappointed. Happy Mothers Day to all.
I think you’ve spotted it, Laura. “Julia’s” response to you is very similar to the male concern trolls I’ve seen on Twitter.
I’m with Laura. “Julia” is obviously a sexist neckbeard who dehumanizes women by calling them “a female” before pearl-clutching about issues real women know are ubiquitous.
Three separate incidents, thoroughly investigated. The studio wouldn’t have fired him without cause, as that would be an expensive lawsuit.
Also no one owes you the specifics of their assault or harassment. Three different investigated and verified incidents, and a corporate overlord as conservative and careful as Disney? Yah, there’s facts.
Savage’s bad reputation for harassing behaviour — sexual and otherwise — goes back a LONG time, to his teens as a matter of fact. Several women were quietly paid off after filing lawsuits. You know, you don’t pay someone off when there was no crime committed, you just fire the girl.
Jaded is right. The Variety article went in to a lot more details about his history.
Disney would not fire you without facts to back up the claims, otherwise he could sue them for breach of contract.
He have been getting with bad behavior for years.
Good grief Kaiser, I almost spit out my coffee with with those last two sentences. YES!
Yup. My cold dead heart twitched.
According to the account of this in People magazine, Alley Mills, the actress who played his mother in The Wonder Years, also alleged in 2018 that Savage and Jason Hervey, the actor who played his brother also had a sexual harassment lawsuit against them that caused the show to end.
As soon as you mentioned Alley Mills, I kinda sorta remembered what she said, so I went looking for it. Monique Long was a costume designer on The Wonder Years and she alleged harassment by the two. It looks like the case was settled out of court. Mills called the lawsuit “ridiculous” in her 2018 interview. Long said that she stood by the allegations. I found an article on Vulture that mentioned it. https://www.vulture.com/2018/01/alley-mills-says-harassment-claim-ended-the-wonder-years.html
Thanks for the linK. The original Wonder Years was cancelled because tiny adorable Fred Savage was sued for sexual harassment? JFC! This is why we can’t have nice memories Hollywood. Your toxic fking culture that privileges cishet white men over all else. And if his behavior was so awful as to get a huge hit tv show cancelled, why TF was he allowed to continue working without changing his ways? This is how toxic culture breeds.
@Enormous Coat, thanks for that! Gross! I didn’t know she called the lawsuit ridiculous. That wasn’t clear in what I read. How awful.
Wow , Mills really comes off hateful in that article. Women like her are such a big part of the problem.
I worked with Jason Hervey on a non-tv project and remember him as creepy. Like telling stories of hiding in a closet to watch his friend have sex.
Yeah, Hervey is a creep! He did a short lived reality series with Scott Baio several years ago. They are good friends. Birds of a feather……
This makes me sad – again! I only know him from the Netflix series Friends from College and I found him hilarious, especially the scenes with Keegan.
I just watched the Marilyn doc on Netflix where they said that the producers had a black book with names of actresses who would sleep with them for a part. This kind of toxic culture doesn’t just go away.
Glad he was fired. Film sets are workplaces and I’m happy that assholes are finally being outted! Having a short temper and being a brat should not be tolerated in any workplace.
This just confirms my longtime belief that Ben is the superior Savage brother. Cory Matthew’s would never.
Probably not. Trina MgGee (Angela) said the Boy Meets world cast were super racist towards her. Like brother, like brother.
Ewwww…really? Sad to hear this.
She said that was Will Friedle – I don’t think Ben was a part of that.
I’m glad to see action was taken, everyone deserves to work in a safe environment free from harassment.
I vaguely remember there being some unpleasant rumors about him in the last few years, what a shame it turned out to be true, how hard is it to just be a decent person?
Wasn’t it Ben Savage in Boy Meets World, not Fred?
Yes, but Fred did guest star on an episode of Boy Meets World, so that might be what Kaiser meant.
Ironically, Fred’s guest spot was as a sexually predatory college professor who harassed Topenga.
Even if he did an episode, he is definitely not known for being on Boy Meets World. She must be confusing Fred with Ben. I personally will always think of him in Princess Bride.
Glad they canned him. I have No trouble believing he’s a disgusting pig.
That said, why so nasty to the poster expressing curiosity about what he did..specifically?
It’s reasonable to be be curious, I don’t see where she indicated she was owed specifics from his victims.
Where else would those specifics come from but the victims?
The question was phrased in such a way that the poster seemed to doubt the veracity of the report and wanted specifics to support the accusations. Those specifics are not owed to us.
I disagree, she asked a reasonable question and was immediately mocked…because her post seemed “similar to the male trolls on twitter”? Absurd.
Regarding Savage..the article indicated he created a hostile work environment, that can mean a lot of things.
Again, I don’t believe anyone feels they are “owed” an explanation..simply curious about what happened.
That poster mentioned hoping he wasn’t fired because of innuendo instead of facts, and indeed thinks they are entitled to information on an investigation that is likely confidential.
Sounds like concern trolling to me.
I think some people are reading too much into the comment. The poster was just curious as to what the exact allegations were. She never said she demands to know. Aren’t we all curious? If we weren’t we wouldn’t be reading the article. People need to stop being so mean and let people post without coming at them. The world is hateful enough as it is and I thought this was a safe place to express thoughts and questions.
You’re free to disagree. You asked why the post got the reaction it did, and I explained it to you.
I’m from the Bay Area and when he went to Stanford he used to go to one of the same bars I did. He was a total douche. He was always trying to pick us up and really honed in on super drunk girls. His pick up lines were basically, I’m Fred Savage, and he would get mad when we didn’t care. He tried to get us to come back to his place often and we always said no. He got mad at us one night because we wouldn’t go home with him and was yelling and making a scene. He’s a total douche.
Correction: his brother BEN Savage was on Boy Meets World, NOT Fred. Fred guest starred in one episode on Boy Meets World which I don’t remember and he was not a recurring character. I didn’t watch the Wonder Years (I was too young, the show went off the air when I was 5) but I did watch Boy Meets World and I have zero memory of Fred Savage on BMW so I wouldn’t lump in that show with his work because it’s not what he’s kwown for. But his brother Ben is. As far as I know, Ben Savage is not problematic and I want my image of Cory to stay problem free forever if possible!
Savage by name. Savage by nature. His late uncle Randy Macho Man Savage would be terribly disappointed in Fred’s unprofessional conduct. Oh yeah.
If they fire you in Hwd these days, it’s bad. Really bad. It doesn’t happen by accident. And if things are not legally tight enough, they still can sometimes gracefully move someone out for “scheduling” or “creative differences.” If they out and out fire you for inappropriate behavior, it’s f’ing bad.
He literally looks greasy in every picture. Repulsive on many levels.