One Tree Hill was a basketball themed teen soap that ran for 9 seasons between 2003 and 2012. Over the weekend a former writer for the show, Audrey Wauchope, took to twitter to accuse former showrunner, Mark Schwahn, of sexual harassment during the show's run. Without naming him, she recalled her experiences of working on the show.
In light of the Andrew Kreisberg reporting, a couple thoughts about my first writing job that I've wanted to say for years but have never had the guts to. When I was 29 my writing partner @RachelSpecter and I were hired as staff writers.
— Audrey Wauchope (@audreyalison) November 12, 2017
Rachel had been actress previous to writing and was told that he used to talk about her in the room before we were hired. So that's a safe room to enter as staff writers. Imagine what that does to ones psyche.
— Audrey Wauchope (@audreyalison) November 12, 2017
Moving on. The staff sat on couches. Female writers would try to get the spot where the showrunner wouldn't sit as to not be touched. Often men would help out by sitting next to him, thus protecting the women.
— Audrey Wauchope (@audreyalison) November 12, 2017
Sometimes we wouldn't luck out and he'd just squeeze his disgusting body in between us and put his arms around us, grinning. He pet hair. He massaged shoulders. I know he did more but not to me so they're not my stories to share.
— Audrey Wauchope (@audreyalison) November 12, 2017
Yesterday, female cast and crew members issued a letter to Variety supporting Wauchope and detailing their own experiences with Schwahn. Signees included Sophia Bush, Hillary Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz who all played lead roles on the show.
The letter begins "All of the female cast members of One Tree Hill have chosen this forum to stand together in support of Audrey Wauchope and one another. To use terminology that has become familiar as the systemic reality of sexual harassment and assault has come more and more to light, Mark Schwahn’s behaviour over the duration of the filming of One Tree Hill was something of an “open secret.” Many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally."
The full letter can be read on Variety.com.
