Fred Savage has denied assault claims from a former costumer who said he swore at her and created a hostile work environment on the set of The Grinder.
Youngjoo Hwang claims Savage was verbally abusive and had a reputation for tormenting female crew members, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Hwang and her attorney Anahita Sedaghatfar held a press conference to discuss the allegations, which include that Savage yelled at her not to touch him while she was dusting dandruff off of his suit on set and “violently” struck her arm.
Sedaghatfar confirmed during the presser that she filed a complaint against Savage and Fox for assault, battery, discrimination and gender harassment, among other claims, and Hwang is seeking damages for emotional distress. (The complaint is posted below.)
Both Savage and 20th Century Fox Television say the claims were investigated and found to be meritless.
“None of her claims could be substantiated because they did not happen,” Savage said Wednesday in a statement. “While none of the accusations being leveled at me are true, I wholeheartedly support all people who feel they are being mistreated come forward and speak to human resources and those in charge.”
Fox on Wednesday also issued a statement: “Fox takes all allegations of improper conduct very seriously. We conducted a thorough investigation into these allegations and found no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Mr. Savage. We will vigorously defend against these unfounded claims.”
Sedaghatfar claims Fox did not conduct an independent investigation and encouraged any others who experienced issues with the actor to contact her.
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