'Doctor Odyssey' Crew Members Sue Disney Over Allegations of Sexual Harassment and Wrongful Termination
A lawsuit was filed on Friday, May 30, against Disney and 20th Century Studios by three former Doctor Odyssey employees
Caroline Mack, Alicia Haverland and Ava Steinbrenner allege in the filing that their bosses in the props department created an "unlawful den of sexual harassment and retaliation"
In the complaint, Mack, Haverland and Steinbrenner alleged sexual harassment, failure to prevent harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination in violation of public policy and negligent hiring, supervision and retentionThree former Doctor Odyssey crew members have filed a harassment lawsuit against Disney and 20th Century Studios over alleged mistreatment on set.
Caroline Mack, Alicia Haverland and Ava Steinbrenner filed a suit in Los Angeles on Friday, May 30, as they alleged that their bosses on the show's set created an "unlawful den of sexual harassment and retaliation," according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.
Mack, Haverland and Steinbrenner were hired to work in the show's props department in 2024, per the complaint, and alleged sexual harassment, failure to prevent harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination in violation of public policy and negligent hiring, supervision and retention in the complaint.
Per the filing, they claimed that assistant prop master Tyler Patton "and his male buddies" on set "subjected" them to an "unchecked campaign of sexual harassment for months," while his wife, Tammie Patton, who was the prop master, "ignored" the harassment.
The women also claim that Tammie, who is married to Tyler, subjected them to "retaliation for complaining" about Tyler's "sexually harassing conduct" and their "mistreatment."
As a result of the harassment and mistreatment on set, Mack, Haverland and Steinbrenner accused their bosses of "manufacturing a 'lay off' of the Props Department to avoid having to deal with the unlawful conduct that [they] had endured and complained about."
Among the women's allegations against Tyler were that he "constantly bombarded [them] with sexual jokes, innuendos, comments, sexual gestures and images, and unwanted touching," and once "openly grabb[ed] [a] visiting female employee's buttocks on set."
Speaking to the show's set overall, the lawsuit claims it was "full of inappropriate sexualized comments to and about women" that "occurred daily and frequently in the presence of management."
Tyler "continually made comments about: (i) sucking dick; (ii) anal prolapse; (iii) eating each other's ass; (iv) going down on women; (v) bondage; and (vi) dominance/submission and sadism sexual practices," per the documents.
Despite the women showing "outward offense and frustration with this inappropriate and sexualized conduct, management failed to do anything," the lawsuit alleges.
The women claimed that inappropriate comments were "always made in [their] presence...because Tyler Patton and his male buddies outwardly enjoyed watching [them] react and squirm uncomfortably to their sexualized commentary."
"At one point, when one [defendant] asked Tyler Patton to stop this behavior, Tyler Patton responded by saying 'that's the way it is here, if you don't like it, go work at Home Depot,'" the documents allege.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
The lawsuit also claimed that Tyler was hired for Doctor Odyssey despite "knowledge that prior allegations of sexual harassment had been lodged" against him during his time working on House. A lawsuit was filed against Tyler and others on the House set, and he was accused of "sexual harassment, intoxication, and engaging in sex on set."
After the defendants complained about Tyler's "sexually harassing conduct," they allege that his wife Tammie also began to "engage in ... retaliatory behavior," including "screaming," "increasing work assignments as punishment" and "threatening their employment."
The lawsuit claims that Mack, Haverland and Steinbrenner were ultimately 'illegally and wrongfully' terminated after voicing the complaint against their boss.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Doctor Odyssey stars Joshua Jackson, Don Johnson, Phillipa Soo and Sean Teale, and was created by Ryan Murphy. The lawsuit does not implicate any of the cast or its creator.
Read the original article on People
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
31 minutes ago
- New York Post
'Friends' star Jane Sibbett reveals why she quit Hollywood for new career
The one where Carol becomes an energy healer. 'Friends' actress Jane Sibbett, who played Ross' lesbian ex-wife on the sitcom, opened up about her decision to leave Hollywood for a different career in a new interview with People. Sibbett, 62, told the outlet that she became passionate about energy and spirituality after moving to Hawaii with her then-husband Karl Fink around ten years ago. Advertisement 8 Jessica Hecht, David Schwimmer and Jane Sibbett in 'Friends' in 1995. Getty Images 8 Jane Sibbett in an Instagram photo from March 2025. janesibbett/Instagram 'My husband and I split [when] we were in Hawaii, and I was on my knees because I was really brokenhearted by everything, and part of that was my stuff that I had to deal with,' Sibbett shared. Advertisement The 'It Takes Two' actress recalled that after the split, energy healer Abdy Electriciteh, with whom she was producing a documentary, asked her to help him produce a live energy healing event. 8 Jane Sibbett attends the 'Wedding Wonderland' premiere in Los Angeles in 2017. Tommaso Boddi 'It was a perfect synthesis of my belief in the gift of him [and] what he was doing and me coming off of 'Friends,'' she explained, adding, 'I'm really a shy person, and so for me to step up into a crowd and introduce him all day long to all these people and have a different story, each and every time, I started to feel the way that source energy or God energy was moving through me.' 'Then somebody said, 'Hey, you were so good at that. I know somebody else who needs your help,'' Sibbett continued, 'and so I went to one person, and then I did the next person, and I did the next.' Advertisement 8 Jane Sibbett as Carol Willick-Bunch, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller in 'Friends.' NBCUniversal via Getty Images Sibbett noted that she didn't have any formal training in her 'dancing hands' technique that was inspired by Electriciteh. 8 Jane Sibbett at The Hollywood Show in Los Angeles in 2015. Getty Images 'I wouldn't call it Reiki,' she told the outlet. '[My hands] just started dancing because I was never trained in Reiki, so I wouldn't even know what that is. I believe in it, I trust it [but] it's just not what I do. This wasn't trained. This just came in fully fleshed, immediately.' Advertisement Despite leaving Hollywood, Sibbett — who is working on a memoir about her career change — believes her acting experience actually helped her become an energy healer. 8 Jane Sibbett in 'Herman's Head' in the 1990s. ©Touchstone Television/Courtesy Everett Collection 8 Jane Sibbett attends the 1736 Family Crisis Center's 40th Anniversary Gala in Pacific Palisades, Calif. in 2013. WireImage 'I think every actor worth their salt knows that they are embodied by the character. At some point, you give yourself over, [so] I understand why my body is trained to let itself go,' she shared. 'That's part of the actor crisscross there.' Sibbett appeared in 15 episodes of 'Friends.' Her character Carol was involved in the first lesbian wedding on television. 8 Jessica Hecht as Susan Bunch-Willick, Jane Sibbett as Carol Willick-Bunch in 'Friends.' NBCUniversal via Getty Images Last year, Sibbett told The Post that she's never watched the beloved sitcom in its entirety. 'I'm that girl who just doesn't watch what she's already done,' she said. 'It's really terrible.'
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Angelina Jolie Will Opt for 'Intimate' 50th Birthday Celebration with Family After 'Rough' Past Decade (Exclusive Source)
A source close to Angelina Jolie tells PEOPLE that the actress "doesn't want a big party" to celebrate her 50th birthday on June 4 "She prefers a more intimate celebration with her kids," the source adds Jolie, who recently appeared at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, "is embracing the idea of turning 50 and feels more grounded than ever" ahead of her birthday, according to a separate insiderAngelina Jolie just turned 50, but don't expect her to throw a major party to celebrate. A source close to Jolie, who reached her milestone birthday on June 4, tells PEOPLE that while the Oscar winner "seems genuinely excited and happy about turning 50," she "doesn't want a big party." Instead, the insider says the Maria actress will opt for "a more intimate celebration" with her six children: Maddox, 23; Pax, 21; Zahara, 20; Shiloh, 18; Knox, 16 and Vivienne, also 16. "So much of her 40s were rough. She's in a much better place now," the source continues of Jolie, who reached a divorce settlement with ex Brad Pitt in December 2024 after an eight-year legal battle. "The kids are amazing and thriving. There is less family drama." Jolie stepped back into movies in 2024 with her Maria Callas biopic on Netflix, which marked her first acting role since she starred in 2021's Those Who Wish Me Dead and Marvel's Eternals. Last year, she also debuted her first movie as a director since 2017, Without Blood, which world premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her sons Maddox and Pax worked on the movie's set, and Salma Hayek Pinault starred. The prominent humanitarian also won her first Tony Award in 2024 for producing the new musical The Outsiders. Her daughter Vivienne worked as a volunteer assistant on the production. A separate insider tells PEOPLE that Jolie "is embracing the idea of turning 50 and feels more grounded than ever" on her birthday. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "She's not shying away from getting older, in fact she's leaning into it," that source says. "Angie sees aging in a really positive light especially after losing her mom so young. She feels calm, inspired, and she's excited about what's ahead." Jolie most recently stepped out at the Cannes Film Festival in France to attend the Trophée Chopard dinner. She also attended the world premiere of Emma Stone's new movie Eddington at the French International film festival on Friday, May 16. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dakota Mortensen Reveals He Considered Killing Himself amid Drug Relapse During His Divorce
Dakota Mortensen appeared on The Viall Files where he opened up about his life on and off reality TV Dakota gets candid about his history with drug addiction and how he found a path to happiness Dakota Mortensen's struggles with addiction have been mentioned on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, but not in detailDakota Mortensen is getting candid about his struggles with addiction. Appearing on the Wednesday, June 4 episode of The Viall FIles, the 32-year-old reality star opened up about his life prior to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. While fans of the show have heard mention of Dakota's previous addiction on the show, he takes it back to where it all began — when he was a 17-year-old basketball player looking for something to help him manage his knee pain. "I had bad knees, and I remember I was at a practice once, and my knees were hurting super bad," he explains to host Nick Viall. "I was in the gym, and a kid was in there for, working out or something. He was just one of my friends, kind of. I was complaining about my knees... and then he was like, 'Oh, dude, I have some pain pills.'" Dakota "had no idea" what the pills were, but he took them. "Then I went and practices, and I remember I had zero pain. It was the best thing in the world," he recalled. Dakota sought out more pills, finding out that they were prescription painkillers. He didn't see what he was doing as problematic because, "It was a pill and I didn't see, I think, the bad side of that in that way," he explained. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. When he and his friend went to get more pills, their dealer told them snorting was more effective. Dakota eventually moved on to Oxycontin, recalling that a "buddy" eventually told him to smoke them "off of tin foil," which created a huge shift in his addiction. The then-teenager was working construction but found his habits cost more than he was bringing in. It was then that he turned to heroin. As his addiction took over, Dakota found himself stealing from his parents and doing return scams at big box stores with friends for extra cash. Dakota was in a relationship with his high school sweetheart at the time, who wasn't aware of the extent of his addiction before they got married. It was then that he started to realize the toll his addiction could take on others. "She knew about [the addiction], but she didn't understand it," he said. "And nobody did. Nobody understood it. My family didn't understand it ... She had no idea that I was using heroin. She knew, [but] she had no idea how bad I really was as well." Dakota vowed to himself to stop using when they got married, but he admitted that he turned to drugs again on their wedding day. "I remember when I was going to my wedding, it was gonna be my last hurrah before I stopped. And before I left, [some of my buddies] were like, 'We should use one more time,'" he recalled. "So, I am in my suit, I'm getting ready to go do this... And I am trying to get drugs." "I remember I was supposed to be there at a certain time, and I was late," he added. "Like, I wasn't late to the wedding or anything, but, like, meaning I was late to where I should have been there a lot earlier... I showed up and yeah, I used there, and that was actually fentanyl that I used there." In the early days of his marriage, Dakota tried to get sober. He and his wife bought a home together and with her working nights as a CNA, Dakota "held off for a while," he admitted. When a friend reached out offering heroin, however, he began using again. "It was mostly just heroin, and then, like, the fentanyl patches are, we would get those from cancer patients, by the way. We would find people that were dying from cancer, and they would sell all their drugs to people to make money, which is really sad," he says. In the year and a half he was married, Dakota continued doing drugs with his wife's limited knowledge. He felt the call to get sober after having "a very godly, spiritual experience." "I remember I was hurting so bad because I was still using and I just felt like such a crappy person. I just hated myself so much," he said. "And I remember I said a prayer and at this time, I didn't even know if I believed in God anymore... And I said a prayer and I was like, 'If there's anything you can do right now, just please, I need help so bad, and I need something to happen that will just change.'" He continued, "Right after I said that, I had a cousin that I haven't talked to since I was a little kid, and he was a junkie for 25, 30 years, and then he was sober. He ended up getting sober. He worked at a rehab place, and he randomly, out of the blue, shot me a text, right when I was done praying. He sent me a scripture and I thought that was kind of weird, but I remember texting him being like 'Hey, I'm actually, I kinda feel like I need help right now.'" Dakota didn't follow through immediately, he admitted. However on the next day, Christmas Eve, things came to a head when his wife caught him using. "She was in her bathroom and I went into the other bathroom and locked the door and I was getting ready to do it," he explained. "And she grabbed the key, unlocked the door, and opened it with me using. It was, like, the most craziest experience because she was just broken." Dakota recalled feeling "numb" and hiding his drugs on his body and throwing the foil it came in in the toilet, convincing his wife he'd flushed the drugs in front of her. "But I kept the drugs," he said. "And then she called my family. My family came and picked me up. Then when I was driving home, even just driving home I remember I was, like, I was sitting on the door. I was just so out of it. And I was this close from just opening the door and just throwing myself out of the truck," he admits. "I got home and I was at my parents' house for a while. The next day, she came over, essentially said, 'Hey, I'm gonna get a divorce.' And by the way, during this time, I was in rehab. So I checked myself in rehab. I did go to her and I was like, 'Hey, I'm struggling. I gotta get help. I don't know how to do it. And I managed to get help.'" Knowing that rehab was too little, too late for his marriage put Dakota in a dark place. "From there, I remember there was this point where I was like, this is where I was gonna kill myself," he revealed. "And I went, I bought like a gram of heroin and I was just like, 'I'm gonna just shoot up and I'm gonna just try to kill myself.' This is where I'm so sick of this life. I don't know how to stop, can't stop. It felt like it was just... I could never stop. And when I did, that same cousin called me and he said, 'Hey, I'm gonna come pick you up. I'm gonna get you into my rehab that I work at for free, and I'm gonna come grab you.'" Dakota agreed but noted, "I was like, 'I'll try it one more time. This will be my last time. I was like, If this one doesn't work, I'm done. I'm just gonna kill myself. I don't like doing this anymore.'" He admitted it was difficult to go through his divorce and get sober. After four months in rehab, he came home and packed up, deciding to move from Idaho to Utah for a fresh start. "The crazy thing is, when I was in Utah, I actually was sober for close to 4½, 5 years. So I was actually doing great," he said. "I was actually super happy. I was just loving life again. I never got to really enjoy life. It almost felt like I missed out on everything. I never got to do anything. I ended up having a relapse and it was fentanyl." Today, Dakota has been sober for over three years. He admitted, "What I actually did, it sounds weird, but I did it just for myself too, so that I could see, I actually documented a lot of that period of time for myself to watch what it did to how much it changes you. When I watch back on some of those videos, it would blow your mind. Like, your whole thought process changes, like, immediately." To get sober, he revealed that he got a hotel in Saint George and locked himself in a hotel for about five to six days where he went "through the gnarliest withdrawals." He explained, "I think it was the part that I knew, I could finally see, that I knew all of the beliefs in my head at that time were lies. It wasn't real. It was just, like, I knew it was just the drugs. It was all the drugs changing how I'm thinking." Dakota changed his focus to working out and wellness as he tried to transition to a new stage of his life. It was about six months into that journey that Dakota met Taylor Frankie Paul. While it hasn't always been smooth sailing between them, Taylor understood the boundaries of Dakota's addictions. Taylor makes mention of Dakota's addiction after their Halloween party blowout during season 2, acknowledging it's more important than any problem between them. "I made sure he was okay because I do worry about him obviously," she told Mayci Neeley and Mikayla Matthews during a lunch together. "When you have a past like that, that's like life or death for people. So I checked up on him." In a confessional, she elaborates, explaining, "Since the Halloween party, Miranda and I are cordial. But Dakota and I are currently in a fight and things are just getting worse and worse. And honestly, I do worry about Dakota's sobriety. With recovering addicts, you never know and so I think I'll always worry about that. My heart is closed at this point, but there's no question that I feel so strongly about him." If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 24/7. Read the original article on People
