The Rookie's Afton Williamson quits show over alleged sexual misconduct and racial discrimination

(Image credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

published 5 August 2019

Actress Afton Williamson announced on Sunday she is not returning to The Rookie next season, saying she was sexually harassed, assaulted, and bullied on the set.

Williamson played LAPD officer Talia Bishop opposite star and executive producer Nathan Fillion. In an Instagram post, Williamson said the incidents took place while shooting episodes throughout the show's first season. Williamson alleged she was bullied by the executive producers and experienced "racial discrimination/racially charged inappropriate comments from the hair department." She also accused a "recurring guest star" of sexually harassing her and said the "racist commentary and bullying from the hair department head escalated into sexual assault at our wrap party."

Williamson said she told showrunner Alexi Hawley about the sexual harassment, but "it remained undocumented and was not reported to HR as promised." She decided to leave the show for good after learning that a promised investigation had never been launched, she said, adding, "Now is the best time in the world to be a woman and I have a platform, so it's time to use my voice." Representatives for Fillion and ABC did not respond to USA Today's request for comment.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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