Two writers quit ‘Carol’s Second Act’ after accusing EP (and star’s husband) of inappropriate behavior

Two female writers have quit CBS’s “Carol’s Second Act” after accusing the executive producer (who happens to be married to the series’ star) of misconduct.

• According to The New York Times, writer Broti Gupta reported two separate incidents where EP David Hunt allegedly touched her thigh and shoulders to higher ups, including to co-EP Maggie Magee.
• Hunt is married to the series star, Patricia Heaton.
• Magee reported the incident to the show runners, who in turn reported the allegations to CBS.
• Hunt denied recalling the incidents.
• Gupta pushed hard for Hunt to be “educated” on appropriate workplace behavior and not taken off the show.
• However, she and Magee were then banned from rehearsals, with other producers saying previous run-throughs were “too chaotic.” The were also told they could no longer suggested revised jokes.
• Gupta resigned and Magee was then reportedly stripped of nearly all writing responsibilities.
• Magee then quit as well.

Here’s CBS Television Studios‘ statement on the matter:

A claim of unprofessional behavior was made by a writer regarding one of the show’s executive producers. The complaint was reported by a producer to the showrunners, who immediately alerted the production company and the Studio. The matter was promptly investigated by human resources, and appropriate action was taken to address the complaint. The executive producer cooperated fully with the process.

In addition, we looked into allegations of retaliatory conduct by the showrunners at the time they were raised, and we found no evidence of retaliatory intent in their interactions with the writer or the producer. In particular, their decisions about the writers’ procedure during rehearsals and tapings were creatively motivated to streamline their production process and were already being discussed prior to the complaint.

Further, our human resources team always endeavors to address issues in a professional and sensitive manner, and we must clarify that certain allegations about them have either been misstated or taken wholly out of context.
The writer and producer decided to leave the show of their own accord. CBS agreed to their request to be paid for the remainder of their guaranteed episodes this season, and we supported their request to waive any contractual provisions that would prevent them from speaking about their experiences on the show.