Writers on Patricia Heaton’s TV show say they quit over sexual harassment complaint against her husband
A lawyer for Hunt and Heaton, who have been married since 1990 and have four sons, told the newspaper that the British actor, director and producer “did not remember the details as described.”
Attorney Bryan Freedman added that Hunt “does not recall rubbing anyone’s thigh or leg and he disputes that characterization of it.”
Freeman, Hunt and Heaton’s lawyer, said that his client “remembers looking for a script but does not remember the detail of touching anyone’s shoulders, and if he did that, it was not intended to be offensive.”
Gupta said she met with HR executive Ellen Goldsmith, who she claimed told her that an investigation had backed up her report of the chair incident and that “she had no reason to doubt” the writer’s account of the first incident at the restaurant. Gupta reportedly told Goldsmith that she preferred to see Hunt undergo sexual harassment training rather than lose his job.
“I told them just my own personal code of ethics, which is that if there is space for education instead of punitive measures, then I believe in education,” Gupta told the paper.
Times, Hunt completed sexual harassment training on Oct. 1 and received a “closure letter” from CBS which reportedly stated, “Your behavior caused the individual who raised the concerns to feel genuinely uncomfortable in the workplace and it reflected a disregard for CBS’s policies and guidance in the matter. You are hereby cautioned not to engage in such behavior.”” data-reactid=”80″ type=”text”>
While CBS backed the showrunners, Gupta said the changes in procedure felt like an effort to separate her from Hunt and “gave me no option but to leave the show.”