Some in the industry were shocked when news emerged that former child star Fred Savage was fired from The Wonder Years reboot, currently airing on ABC. Savage served as a director and executive producer on the series, but he was let go after “allegations of misconduct” were made public. The original series made Savage a star, and now his alleged conduct on the reboot has added him to the cancellation club. Exact details were slim at the time of his initial firing, but more has been revealed about what exactly went down between Savage and several women that reported him to Disney HR.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Savage was getting ready to direct his ninth episode of the reboot when a group of six women decided that they needed to take action because of his conduct. While they feared repercussions, the women sent a complaint to Disney back in February about Savage’s behavior.
As the report explains, “the women who worked on the Wonder Years reboot say they saw two very different sides of Savage: a charismatic, seemingly supportive colleague and a far darker, angrier alter ego.”
The piece is extremely extensive and goes into much detail on his behind the scenes conduct. Read it for a thorough examination. It definitely details a guy in a position of power with extreme entitlement issues. It was also like he had this Jekyll & Hyde personality. Given that several of the women describe his “dead eyes” whenever he becomes upset, that shows a consistent level of inappropriate behavior.
This isn’t the first time Fred Savage has been accused of inappropriate behavior. In 1993, when the actor was 16, a costumer on the original The Wonder Years sued him for sexual harassment, and the case was eventually settled. During his time on the Fox comedy series The Grinder, which ran from 2015-2018, a female crewmember sued Savage claiming that he “constantly hurled profanities” at female employees and had shouted at and struck her during a costume fitting. Fox ultimately found no evidence of wrongdoing, and the lawsuit was settled. Savage also denied both allegations.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Savage had this to say about the matter:
“Since I was 6 years old, I have worked on hundreds of sets with thousands of people, and have always strived to contribute to an inclusive, safe and supportive work environment. It is devastating to learn that there are co-workers who feel I have fallen short of these goals. While there are some incidents being reported that absolutely did not and could not have happened, any one person who feels hurt or offended by my actions is one person too many. I will work to address and change any behavior that has negatively affected anyone, as nothing in this world is more important to me than being a supportive co-worker, friend, husband, father and person.”
What are YOUR thoughts on the details regarding why Fred Savage was fired from The Wonder Years reboot?