Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress Eliza Dushku was paid $9.5 million USD in a sexual harassment lawsuit in early 2018, a new report reveals. Amid an investigation into CBS' history of sexual misconduct by outside law firms, Dushku's troubling story came to light.
Documents reviewed by The New York Times reveal that Dushku, who appeared in a few episodes of the CBS drama Bull in 2017, had complained about comments made by co-star Michael Weatherly on set. According to documents reviewed, Weatherly made comments regarding Dushku's appearance ("Here comes legs") and prospective sexual experiences (He joked about a threesome with Dushku, as well as spanking Dushku). Weatherly told investigators that all such comments were made in jest.
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After her complaints, Dushku was written off the show, despite being told that she would likely become a series regular in forthcoming seasons. She later entered mediation with CBS, and earned a settlement in exchange for her silence about the circumstances surrounding her departure. Her $9.5 million USD settlement reflects what she would have made in four seasons of being a series regular, per the Times. The agreement was settled in January 2018, the same month women wore all black to the Golden Globes in support of the Time's Up movement. In a statement provided to the Times, Weatherly apologized for his remarks:
"After reflecting on this further, I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza," Weatherly notes. Refinery29 has reached out to representation for Weatherly for additional comment.
Dushku's case shines a light on another dark crevice of CBS, which has been under investigation since the New Yorker first reported a series of harassment allegations against its chief executive Leslie Moonves.