‘The Rookie’ Actress Afton Williamson Quits Show After Alleging Racial Discrimination And Sexual Harassment

The Rookie actress Afton Williamson has announced that she was forced to leave the ABC series after complaints of racial discrimination, sexual harassment and even assault went unanswered while filming the whole first season of the show.

The actress brought the news to light in an Instagram post on Sunday, specifically naming the show’s hair department, an unnamed series guest star, and executive producers for bullying and harassment.

“Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers,” Williamson wrote in the post. “During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. Head escalated into Sexual Assault at our Wrap party.”

View this post on Instagram

I will not be returning for Season 2 of The Rookie. I owe it to you my amazing fans to share the Truth. Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers. During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. Head escalated into Sexual Assault at our Wrap party.The Sexual Harassment though reported directly to the Showrunner/EP remained undocumented and was not reported to HR as promised. The Hair Dept. Head was fired ONLY after the sexual assault and NOT for an entire year of outward racism/racially charged language and bullying behavior in and out of the Hair and Makeup trailer. HR protocol was never adhered to following the above reports given by me to my Showrunner/EP and an investigation was never issued for any of my claims. The only time I was asked to participate in an investigation was after a meeting I called in June following our Season 2 announcement. This meeting included the Showrunner and two other producers as well as my agent and SAG-AFTRA Union Rep. It was clear to all present in the meeting that the Showrunner had not shared my reports with the any of the producers. After my initial report of sexual harassment, I was assured that the actor would be fired. I was also asked to film with him the very next day as a courtesy to the script, even though we had not begun filming the episode yet. This actor reappeared on our call sheet at the end of the season, I was even written in scenes with him. I asked the Showrunner about this and he admitted to me that the actor had not been fired nor had he gotten HR involved. I was asked to return this season, and promised that “everything was handled.” The investigation hadn’t even begun and Season 2 had already started filming. I turned it down and I walked. 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. Strength comes from within. It comes from Above. “Greater is He that is within Me than he that is in the world” ❤️🙏🏽

A post shared by Afton Williamson (@therealaftonw) on Aug 4, 2019 at 1:12am PDT

Williamson says that she made repeated complaints to series creator and showrunner, Alexi Hawley, but says he never carried her allegations to Human Resources.

She also noted that action was only taken with the hair department head about the alleged sexual assault, but emphasized that an “entire year of outward racism/racially charged language and bullying behavior in and out of the Hair and Makeup trailer,” went ignored.

The actress even claims she was forced to work with her sexual harasser, an unnamed guest star, despite reporting his harassment.

“I asked the Showrunner about this and he admitted to me that the actor had not been fired nor had he gotten HR involved,” she wrote. “I was asked to return this season, and promised that ‘everything was handled.’ The investigation hadn’t even begun and Season 2 had already started filming. I turned it down and I walked. 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.”

Both ABC Studios and eOne, the show’s co-producing partner, have come out with statements confirming that they are currently investigating Williamson’s claims.

“The allegations involve a production from Entertainment One. In late June, eOne made us aware and informed us that they launched an investigation that is ongoing,” a spokesperson for ABC told Variety. “The safety of working environments is a top priority for us, and we take this matter very seriously.”

Inspired by a true story, The Rookie follows John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD. At an age where most are at the peak of their career, Nolan cast aside his comfortable, small-town life and moved to L.A. to pursue his dream of being a cop.

Williamson played Talia Bishop, a newly promoted training officer whose first assignment is to train Fillion’s character, the forty-year-old rookie.