‘Law & Order: SVU’ showrunner accused of bullying, sexual harassment

For twenty-four seasons, “Legislation & Order: Particular Victims Unit” has been drawing in viewers with case after disturbing case.

However the on-screen drama is nothing in contrast with what’s allegedly been happening behind the scenes on the NBC juggernaut — the longest-running prime-time live-action collection in historical past.

Based on a Los Angeles Instances report, David Graziano, who stepped in as “SVU” showrunner in June, has been accused of mistreating script coordinator Haley Cameron, main her to give up the collection. 

“David Graziano is a really unprofessional, ego-centric, and immature man. I've been on this trade a very long time, and I've by no means skilled such pure, white-male misogyny,” stated Cameron, in a put up on a listserv circulated amongst script coordinators.

A still from "Law & Order: SVU" featuring star Mariska Hargitay.
The long-running “Legislation & Order: Particular Victims Unit,” starring Mariska Hargitay, is having its personal behind-the-scenes drama.
GC Photos

Describing the manufacturing below Graziano, also called “Graz,” as “an absolute unorganized nightmare,” she added, “I urge you — particularly girls — to assume twice earlier than placing your self able that would finish as badly as mine did.”

Graziano’s spokesperson, Alafair Corridor, denied Cameron’s claims in an announcement to the Instances.

“The implication that Mr. Graziano created a hostile work atmosphere, or is sexist, inappropriate and unprofessional is fake,” she stated.

This isn’t first time the showrunner been accused of unhealthy office conduct, starting from alleged bullying to sexual harassment. A path of complaints follows Graziano virtually way back to his résumé, together with earlier workplaces reminiscent of USA Community’s “In Plain Sight,” Fox’s “Deceive Me” and CBS All Entry’ “Coyote.”

“Graz is tremendous poisonous and I’ve by no means run from a job so quick in my life as I did once I [worked] for him. Keep away,” wrote Amy Hartman, script coordinator below Graziano on “Coyote,” on the identical thread as Cameron’s put up.

David Graziano
“Legislation & Order: Particular Victims Unit” showrunner David Graziano has been accused of all the things from bullying to sexual harassment.
Instagram/David Graziano

“Each day I used to be in combat or flight,” Hartman instructed the Instances. “I used to be fully floored that he was working once more and dealing on [‘SVU’].”

Whereas Graziano admitted in an announcement that he was a “tough individual to work with” on “Coyote,” he denied making inappropriate feedback about girls or individuals of coloration.

Whereas engaged on “Deceive Me,” Graziano allegedly turned enraged with a junior author over a casting determination, in response to two people who had been current on the time and a 3rd present staffer who heard about it the following day. “He fired him on the spot, telling him to ‘pack his issues and get the f–okay out,’ ” recalled one in every of them.

A still from "In Plain Sight."
Staffers on “In Plain Sight” have accused Graziano of inappropriate office conduct.
©USA Networks/Courtesy Everett

Corridor, although, disputed the account, saying that Graziano “instructed the insubordinate workers author in a agency voice to depart the room.”

In the meantime, a male author on “Deceive Me” stated Graziano “would discuss within the writers’ room about how he would possibly hit on girls and the way he would do it.”

A former assistant who labored below Graziano on “In Plain Sight” — who requested to not be recognized — stated that Graziano “talked about girls’s our bodies and the issues he’d wish to do with them” and joked about “eager to hook up with me.”

Whereas the previous assistant was additionally working as a full-time nanny to Graziano’s twins, she claimed that he threw a pair of denims at her and demanded that she purchase him 5 extra pairs.

A still from "Lie to Me."
“Deceive Me” is among the many TV exhibits that has seen accusations of inappropriate conduct from Graziano.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett C

“Mr. Graziano has by no means thrown an object at an worker,” stated Corridor in an announcement.

But it surely isn’t simply girls who've accused Graziano of making poisonous work environments.

David James, who labored as a script coordinator on “Coyote,” described it as “simply the worst job I’ve had in Hollywood.”

“Folks continually wanted a second,” James recalled. “There was a lot crying in that workplace; it was every day.”

Paloma Lamb, who was a writers’ manufacturing assistant on “Coyote,” stated that Graziano would even lash out about his lunch orders being improper. “If his tortilla chips had been improper he’d be pissed,” she stated. Plus, Lamb added, “He at all times commented on girls’s appearances.”

Describing the “Coyote” tradition below Graziano as “a really masculine work space,” one author stated that “he took extra liberty shutting down concepts with feminine writers than male writers.” 

Peter Scanavino, Kelli Giddish and Mariska Hargitay in a scene from "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
Peter Scanavino, Kelli Giddish and Mariska Hargitay in a scene from “Legislation & Order: Particular Victims Unit.”
Michael Parmelee/NBC

However Corridor stated that “Mr. Graziano adamantly denies discriminating in opposition to, mistreating, or being dismissive of feminine writers.”

And Jessica Butler, a former TV author who labored with Graziano on “In Plain Sight,” instructed the Instances that “I didn't have a damaging expertise with him.” Nonetheless, she added, “I don’t wish to say something that reductions the expertise of different girls.”

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