Arrowverse co-creator and The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow producer Andrew Kreisberg has been officially fired by Warner Bros. Television following the claims of sexual harassment from various cast members. In early November, it was reported that the longtime showrunner and executive producer had had a history of sexual misconduct and inappropriate physical contact with people on set, corroborated to Variety by 15 different women and four men, all of whom had worked with Kreisberg over the years. To its credit, Warner Bros. Television quickly suspended Kreisberg pending an investigation into the accusations.
Among the allegations leveled at Kreisberg included detailed accounts from past and present employees of Warner Bros. Television of Kreisberg touching and kissing women without their permission and asking for massages from female employees who were clearly uneasy. Across the board, the sources also described a verbal history of regular sexualized comments about women’s appearances, how they dressed, and whether or not they were desirable. At the time, Kreisberg denied the allegations, saying that any physical physical contact he had made with cast and crew and comments about women had been in a purely professional capacity.
Related: Arrowverse Stars Speak Out About Sexual Harassment Claims
Now, THR has revealed that Warner Bros. Television has officially cut all ties with Kreisberg and fired him from not only his Arrowverse duties, but altogether. Along with the Arrowverse, Kreisberg has been kicked off CW Seed’s Vixen series and, most tellingly, has lost his overall deal with the studio. Sources also revealed another project he has been developing with fellow producer and Arrowverse co-creator Greg Berlanti is also up in the air, with indications being that he will no longer be involved with that project. Clearly what WB found in its internal investigation was disturbing and damaging enough so that continuing to keep Kreisberg in its employ was no longer an option. Warner Bros. Television released another statement regarding its decision:
After a thorough investigation, Warner Bros. Television Group has terminated Andrew Kreisberg’s employment, effective immediately. Greg Berlanti will assume additional responsibilities on both The Flash, where he will work closely with executive producer/co-showrunner Todd Helbing, and Supergirl, where he will work closely with executive producers/co-showrunners Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller. We remain committed to providing a safe working environment for our employees and everyone involved in our productions.
Though Andrew Kreisberg has been an integral part of building CW’s Arrowverse and developing other DC Comics-based series in general, WB and CW are confident that the series won’t suffer any hiccups in production as a result of Kreisberg’s firing. Both Berlanti and his head of television, Sarah Schechter, will be overseeing production and shifting duties around. Berlanti and other producers took a trip to Vancouver to visit the sets of each of the Arrowverse’s four series to ease concerns and address any questions the casts and crews might have moving forward. Berlanti and Schechter also released a statement following WB’s decision:
Warner Bros. Television Group recently concluded its investigation into the allegations against Andrew Kreisberg. We encouraged and supported this investigation, we believe and support the individuals who came forward, and we agree with the studio’s decision. Nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of all our colleagues — co-workers, crew and staff alike.
While you have to wonder whether or not Berlanti and other people in power at WB Television had any knowledge prior to this about Kreisberg’s inappropriate behavior, it’s still a positive step that they and WB TV were so proactive in taking action once women started reporting problems to HR. Similar to John Lasseter recently taking a leave of absence from Pixar following an internal decision made by Disney in response to employee claims of sexual harassment, it indicates a shift in Hollywood’s mindset to take women seriously and hold male employees accountable for their actions, no matter how much power they wield.
