Last year, as former CBS honcho Les Moonves’ career imploded, we learned a lot about the toxic culture Moonves created and nurtured during his tenure as CBS president. Moonves was a serial sexual harasser and predator, and he was happy to greenlight and promote male-run, male-dominated TV shows, and if any woman had a problem with that, Moonves would destroy her career. That was a top-down directive, and Michael Weatherly got the memo. Weatherly easily transitioned from NCIS to Bull, a starring-role vehicle which CBS put a lot of money into. Bull was and is a successful show and Weatherly was always thought of as one of CBS’s biggest stars. And when they’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.
Which is how Michael Weatherly waged a campaign of sexual harassment towards Bull guest-star Eliza Dushku. Eliza appeared on Bull for several episodes, with a promise that she would be made a cast-regular. That didn’t happen, because Weatherly made sure all the bros knew that she wasn’t down for harassment. So she was pushed away. She quietly sued CBS and was eventually awarded $9.5 million. She also wrote an op-ed detailing the failure of Bull producers and CBS to properly deal with the situation in real time. Weatherly’s actions cost the network $9.5 million, but he was not fired nor was the show taken off the air, nor did anyone have to face any real consequences (Moonves lost his job, but that wasn’t because of his specific actions re: Bull). So, after all that sh-t went down, you would imagine that Bull producers would know what they wanted to say about the show and all of that? Not so much.
Under a barrage of criticism at the Television Critics Assn. press tour on Thursday, CBS Entertainment executives defended the network’s decision to keep “Bull” on the air despite the harassment allegations against star Michael Weatherly, and addressed concerns about racial insensitivity on the set of “Big Brother.”
CBS network head Kelly Kahl told the reporters and critics in the audience that Weatherly was “remorseful and apologetic” when the allegations from former co-star Eliza Dushku first came to light, and was remorseful and apologetic again once the settlement emerged, noting that no other incidents around Weatherly’s behavior have been reported. Though Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV pulled out as a producer of the series in the wake of news of the accusations and settlement, Kahl bluntly pointed to the show’s ongoing popularity as the reason for continuing to keep it on the air.
“I can’t speak for Amblin, but to us, it’s a show that does very well,” said Kahl. “It’s a very popular show. More than 10 million people watch every week. Michael is loved by our audience, and even after these allegations came out, people continued to watch. It’s a popular show we want to keep on our air, and it’s a very good show as well.”
Yeah, the star of the show harassed a coworker to the point where the network had to pay out $9.5 million, but hey, people still watch the show so it’s still on the air. Throughout the Me Too stories/era, I’ve often said “burn it all to the ground,” and I’ve meant that sh-t. This is one place where it would have been good business too: yeah, maybe the show is still a hit and maybe it plays well to CBS’s key demographics (is “predator bro” a demo?), but this was a moment to say “you know what, let’s just cancel it and start fresh with a new show, without Michael Weatherly.” I know people will yell about “those people on Bull will lose their jobs!” and I get that it’s not fair to cancel a popular show just because of the actions of one or two guys. But it would have been the right thing to do, and it’s better than “well, market forces will determine whether predators/harassers/rapists/child molesters get to keep their jobs.”
Also: CBS did do ONE thing about Weatherly and the Bull showrunners: Weatherly is now undergoing “leadership training,” and showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron received “coaching.” Because bros protect bros and Weatherly’s actions were merely a failure of leadership, you guys.
Photos courtesy of CBS.
PEAK WHITE PRIVILEGE.
Anyone else would have been sacked and working in whole foods….
It’s all about the money. Bull rakes it in, Weatherly stays —is how I read it.
Abusers protecting their own. So gross.
There was video evidence of him harassing her. It cost them $9.5 million. What more has to happen for him to get fired???
See it all the time. Work with a guy who is literally the epitome of white male privilege. He’s in a lead position and he is so full of himself and lacks any self awareness. He has a thick HR file because of his inability to control his mouth but yet he’s still here.
His wife left him a year ago (shocking 🙄) and he’s been in his feelings since.
I once had a boss who was a sociopath, everyone hated her and there were many many complaints about her bullying – her boss (a VP) knew what she was and did but turned a blind eye as in his words ‘she was very good at her job and brought in a lot of money’.
Your story reminds me of a manager I had at a past job. He was socially awkward, would make comments and jokes he knew were inappropriate. He threatened the jobs of my entire department in a way he had no authority to do. Stalked female employees on social media while other colleagues were in the room and aware of what he was doing. Gave forged documents to auditors.
He was investigated by HR twice. The first time was when he called a black employee a monkey to her face. The company waited until he went on a two-week vacation then conducted their investigation. Everyone was interviewed. I gave them everything I had on him (saved emails and such) I know others did as well. However, he returned from his vacation and we never heard a peep about any consequences that were doled out. I recall one day, he called a department meeting and the person he originally insulted just got out of her seat, walked out the door and we never saw her again.
The second time he was investigated, an anonymous email was sent to the CEO and executive management alleging he was overheard using racial slurs in the men’s room. An investigation ensued. Yet nothing happened. He eventually left the company on his own accord for another job.
They even threw him a party on his last day and had everyone “reminisce” about our favorite memories of him.
I don’t get it. It’s not even a good show? I caught the first few episodes of season one and once the premise wore off, there was nothing to mask how bad it is.
This is a hard one for me. Not because I care about CBS or Weatherly himself (I never watched him in anything else before Bull so I was indifferent to the casting before it started), but I do love the show, the entire cast, the character back stories and the actual plot(s). So on one hand I agree, burn it all to the ground and restart, but then I think of all the lovely people already involved in this show, from the writers to the actors and I wonder – how do you fix a problem like this without punishing everyone? Cut his salary or fine him so he feels a financial sting? Require him to go into counselling (not BS leadership whatever training)?
Curious what you guys think.
Leadership training maybe good – I dont know what that entails – but its not good enough. Both Gordan Carter and Weatherly should be forced to donate part of their salaries to women’s causes like domestic abuse programs. Every year. It should be included in their contract as a condition to their employment. And it should be a sizable chunk of their salary.
I think leadership training is another name for how-not-to-be-an-a**hole training.
They could have fired him but kept the show. It’s been done before (Roseanne, Lethal Weapon, House of Cards, Two and a Half a Men)? They definitely made a choice to support his predatory behavior.
As people said below, viewers need to stop watching this show & be okay burning it down. There is collateral damage but a work place that supports sexual harassment & pushes women out of their jobs is not a work place to protect, even if the show or movie is good. I have a difficult time believing that the make-up/catering/lightening/whatever women who work on this show, with these guys, are treated as respectful equals so do them a favor & quit supporting a show with a toxic culture for it’s workers.
Your choice, of course, @Vauvert, but surely we can find you another show that hits the same buttons? I don’t watch much US network tv but my sense is legal dramas are a dime a dozen…
You’re right a lot of innocent people would be impacted if the show were to be cancelled -some enablers too tbqh.
New cultural norms need to be established at CBS and that happens when the community of people who work at CBS reject harassment when they see it and are supported when they do so, I agree with other commenters here that the show needs to go and everyone takes it as an L because things are so incredibly bad at the company they work.
It’s actually the only legal drama I watch, since normally it’’s not my cup of tea (just like Lethal Weapon was the only cop show i used to watch, don’t even want to go into that mess, ugh.) And of course, if it gets cancelled, I’m not going to cry and petition for it or anything – there are other shows to watch and love. This one was a rare prime TV show that we could watch as a family including the teen, and one of the main reasons I loved it was seeing: a hot shot Latino lawyer, a gay former football player, a tough as nails former FBI black investigator, etc. It had diversity and heart and humour. I’m still on the fence about continuing to watch, which is why I was asking what you guys thought. Not because I’m trying to protect or condone Weatherly in any way – I’m thinking of everyone else.
If it were my job, I would certainly not be cavalier about losing it as part of a total cleanup effort because the CEO and the star of the show are / were jerks, you know? I’d want a solution that allows reparation to injured parties, penalties for the guilty / enablers, a cleaned up workplace and so on.
Re: the “others will lose there jobs” excuse for keeping Weatherly employed- I used to think this was a valid concern. But then I realized something: having it affect everyone, innocent or guilty, is about the only way to force change. If people know they will lose their job because of someone else’s behavior then they will call out that behavior to prevent it. And predators causing that ill will among innocent victims keeps them pariahs. Knowing that might cause folks to check themselves.
THANK YOU. ^^^ This hadn’t crossed my mind. You are absolutely right.
Women are nearly always the collateral damage. ‘well her being abused won’t stop me from watching the show’ wow, ok when will women matter enough for how we’re treated to matter?
And I believe I read that she is in school and no longer acting ( in a prev CB article). So who really won?
I’m now going to blame the fools that continue to watch this show. Since CBS won’t do what is right (shocking…said no one), then viewers tuning in are making it ok. Until CBS a ratings dive, they won’t do anything. Viewers need to force their hand!
Yes. That’s pretty much what the CBS executive says. Audience doesn’t care so why should we stop making all this money? I wonder about the demographics of this program and why they’re uninformed. My sister, 70, watched until I told her about his behavior. She knew nothing about it.
Leadership training?!? omg, my eyes are rolling out of my head…
weatherly rakes in the money and ad revenue, right?
let’s take that ability from him. we’re more inclined to cancel problematic beauty gurus than we are to cancel sinister abusers. i think both can be vanquished the same way.
Ironic given how he blacklisted Janet Jackson.
So disheartening. At least replace the offenders. That is the minimum.
Really I would like the entire show scrapped. That’s what happened to Roseanne for racism. Why should sexual harassment get a pass? That kind of behavior is like looking at the tip of an ice berg. Go under the water and there is a nasty attitude toward women hiding beneath. Leadership training and coaching isn’t going to do anything. It is just a box for HR and the offenders to check off.