Afton Williamson Identifies ‘The Rookie’ Guest Star Who Allegedly Harassed Her - Variety

One day after making allegations that she was sexually harassed and racially discriminated against while working on “The Rookie,” Afton Williamson has identified the recurring guest star who she alleges sexually harassed her, and the hair department head who allegedly sexually assaulted her.
“This season on ‘The Rookie,’ I was sexually harassed by fellow actor Demetrius Grosse. I was Racially Bullied and Discriminated against and Sexually Assaulted by Hair Department Head Sally Nicole Ciganovich,” Williamson said in a new Instagram post published this evening.






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To my Fans, my Friends, my Supporters: I want to Thank EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. I am so beyond overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, kind words, scriptures, strength filled quotes and devout support that has come my way. One Instagram post is just like those 2 fish and 5 loaves of Bread. The rippling effect it has had in just a few hours shows how much this world is aching with victims of racism, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual abuse all of it. I am no stranger to all of the above even before this experience. But it is through this experience and my platform that God pushed me to use the power within me. It just takes a VOICE. I never imagined so many of us have experienced these horrible circumstances and that can NO LONGER GO UNHEARD. We have a voice. ALL OF US. It is our DUTY to use it. I used to fear the word Victim. I scoffed at it because all I was told when these injustices happened to me, was to Survive. Survivor I am. Victim I am also. A victim of injustice. A victim of assault. A victim of abuse and harassment. If you have experienced any of the above, you are too and I for one stand with you and I’m no longer afraid to be vocal about it. We Can Stand Together. Let’s Change This Sickness. That Change starts with US. This season on The Rookie, I was sexually harassed by fellow actor Demetrius Grosse. I was Racially Bullied and Discriminated against and Sexually Assaulted by Hair Department Head Sally Nicole Ciganovich. Let’s BE the CHANGE we WANT to SEE❤️👊🏾🙏🏾
A post shared by Afton Williamson (@therealaftonw) on Aug 5, 2019 at 5:06pm PDT


Representatives for Grosse did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment. Neither did reps for showrunner Alexi Hawley and series lead Nathan Fillion.

Williamson brought the allegations to light in an Instagram post published early Sunday morning. In the post, Williamson outlined claims of bullying and harassment against the show’s hair department, a then unnamed series guest star, and executive producers.


“Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers,” Williamson wrote. “During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. Head escalated into Sexual Assault at our Wrap party.”

ABC and eOne, which co-produce “The Rookie,” both released statements Sunday night saying that they had “initiated an independent investigation” into the matter.
On Monday morning, ABC president Karey Burke addressed the matter at the network’s Television Critics Association summer press tour, saying that she and ABC are “waiting for the results of that investigation” before deciding on a course of action.
“At that time, those answers and those conclusions will help guide us about how to handle those situations in the future, if in fact there has been some sort of communication breakdown. I don’t have any more answers than that right now,” Burke said.



































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One day after making allegations that she was sexually harassed and racially discriminated against while working on “The Rookie,” Afton Williamson has identified the recurring guest star who she alleges sexually harassed her, and the hair department head who allegedly sexually assaulted her. “This season on ‘The Rookie,’ I was sexually harassed by fellow actor [...]




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