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Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Doctor Odyssey' Crewmembers Sue Disney for Sexual Harassment on Set, ‘Blacklisting' Them After Filing Complaint
Three former crewmembers on the ABC medical series 'Doctor Odyssey' are suing 20th Century and its parent company Disney for allegedly enabling an 'unchecked campaign of sexual harassment for months' on the set of the series. In the suit, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, plaintiffs Caroline Mack, Alicia Haverland and Ava Steinbrenner claim that Tyler Patton, the assistant prop master on 'Doctor Odyssey,' would subject the three to 'sexual jokes, innuendos, comments, sexual gestures and images' as well as 'unwanted touching,' such as 'openly grabbing a visiting female employee's buttocks.' More from Variety With Disney's New 'Lilo & Stitch' in Theaters, Here's How to Get the Original Animated Film on DVD/4K Ultra HD 'The Devil Wears Prada' Sequel Set for May 2026; Ridley Scott's 'The Dog Stars' Dated for March Justin Connolly, After Exiting Disney, Joins YouTube as Global Head of Media and Sports; Disney Sues Over Exec's Hiring In one account contained in the suit, Patton allegedly sent prop department employees a story appearing to reference news that President Biden had dropped out of the 2024 election. But the link redirected to a picture of a naked male with an erect penis. Other comments allegedly made by Patton include calling one of the plaintiffs a 'chick' and saying 'come over here and open your mouth, here's the worm.' The lead prop master on 'Doctor Odyssey' was Tammie Patton, Tyler's wife. The suit claims that Tammie and Disney hired Tyler with 'knowledge that prior allegations of sexual harassment had been lodged' against him. Patton was previously named in a 2010 lawsuit against Universal Network Television, which claimed advanced sexual harassment and retaliation allegations on the set of 'House.' In that complaint, ex-employee Carl Jones alleged that Patton groped his genitals and made sexual propositions to female co-workers. The 'Doctor Odyssey' suit also claims that Patton's harassment would occur 'daily and frequently in the presence of management.' During one confrontation, Patton allegedly exclaimed, 'If I wasn't fucking the boss, I'd be fired.' Patton was terminated after plaintiffs reported his behavior to human resources, according to the complaint. Shortly after, Tammie Patton allegedly 'began to engage in retaliatory behavior,' including threatening their employment. The entire props department was later laid off, though Disney 'then almost immediately hired a whole new set of employees,' the suit states. The suit argues that 'Defendants wiped the Prop Department's slate clean to avoid having to deal with any remaining 27 employee-relations issues tied to Tyler Patton's and Tammie Patton's misconduct.' The plaintiffs also claim that they have been 'blacklisted' by Disney 'in retaliation for bringing forward their good-faith complaints.' Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'Doctor Odyssey' has not yet been renewed for a second season. It is now the only scripted series at ABC with an undetermined future. Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former ‘Doctor Odyssey' Crewmembers Sue Disney Over Sexual Harassment On Set
Former crewmembers on Doctor Odyssey have sued 20th Television and parent company Disney over alleged sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of the medical drama. Caroline Mack, Alicia Haverland and Ava Steinbrenner, in a lawsuit filed on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claim they were targets of an 'unchecked campaign of sexual harassment' in which their supervisor bombarded them with sexual comments and unwanted touching. They say they were ultimately fired after they complained of the alleged misconduct to management. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Doctor Odyssey' Remains at Sea: No Season 2 Decision Yet at ABC 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Shifting Gears' Among Five ABC Renewals, 'Doctor Odyssey' in Limbo 'Doctor Odyssey' Addresses the (Almost) Throuple in the Room The plaintiffs reported to assistant prop master Tyler Patton, whose supervisor was his wife Tammie Patton. Tyler Patton was previously involved in a lawsuit from a former Universal Network Television employee, who advanced sexual harassment and retaliation allegations on the set of House. In that complaint, the employee Carl Jones claimed Patton groped his genitals and invited women from various production departments to engage in sexual activity. The lawsuit details a culture on the set of Doctor Odyssey in which Tyler Patton, who's not named as a defendant in the complaint, and his male colleagues repeatedly commented on their sexual preferences, with the intention of watching women in their orbit react uncomfortably to the commentary. In one incident, Tyler Patton allegedly referred to one of the former crewmembers as 'mumbles' and told her to 'swallow the cum before you talk.' Another involved him asking aloud to other employees why 'no one had broke her' yet, the lawsuit claims. He regularly responded to benign statements with 'that's what she said,' a sexual joke popularized from The Office, the complaint stated. The complaint claims that Tyler Patton regularly texted others pornographic materials, grabbed women crewmembers' butts, placed his arm around their necks and gave lingering hugs. The lawsuit alleges that Tyler Patton texted the props department, including his wife, prop master Tammie Patton, a link appearing to reference a new story that former President Joe Biden was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. When they clicked, the crewmembers say they were directed to a webpage showing a naked male with an erect penis. Tyler Patton subsequently walked away and allegedly exclaimed, 'If I wasn't fucking the boss, I'd be fired.' Mack later reported the incident to the human resources department and her union, which confirmed that 20th Century and Disney were aware of the alleged misconduct, the lawsuit says. This included complaints of the production mishandling replica firearms. Tyler Patton was terminated shortly after the complaint was issued, says the lawsuit, which notes that Tammie Patton started to retaliate against the plaintiffs by assigning them demeaning tasks and threatening their employment. The entire props department, outside of Tyler Patton's replacement, was later laid off in response to continuing complaints. 20th 'then almost immediately hired a whole new set of employees to replace Plaintiffs and other Props Department employees for the Dr. Odyssey Season 1 project,' states the complaint. 'Clearly, no 'lay off' had occurred. Instead, Defendants wiped the Prop Department's slate clean to avoid having to deal with any remaining employee-relations issues tied to Tyler Patton's and Tammie Patton's misconduct.' Since then, the plaintiffs claim they've been blacklisted from working on 20th and Disney productions. The lawsuit brings claims for sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination and negligent hiring, among other claims. It seeks unspecified damages. 20th and Disney didn't respond to requests for comment. The first-year drama from 20th and Ryan Murphy Television, starring Joshua Jackson as a cruise-ship physician, remains in limbo as the only current ABC scripted series still awaiting word on its future. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
