‘The Umbrella Academy’ Showrunner Steve Blackman Accused of Toxic and Sexist Behavior

Steve Blackman, the showrunner of the hit Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, is in the crosshairs. In a new report, former staffers accuse Blackman of fostering a toxic workplace in which he took credit for others’ work, made comments about women and LGBTQ+ individuals the staffers considered disparaging and degrading, and retaliated against staffers who pushed back.

In a new exposé, Rolling Stone details a January 2023 human resources complaint submitted to Universal Content Productions, the production company behind The Umbrella Academy, accusing Blackman of a “long history of toxic, bullying, manipulative, and retaliatory behavior.” The magazine also reports Blackman was named in two more HR complaints, both filed during Season 2.

Five sources alleged to Rolling Stone that Blackman used their work but didn’t give them the credit or the promotions he’d promised them. “Everyone’s writing a few scenes of his episode that he’s gonna slap his name on,” one support staffer said. “He’s getting pitches from the assistants so that he can go back in the room [to pitch their idea] while he sends them on an errand.”

Blackman also allegedly retaliated against those who voiced criticism of his behavior. One writer told Rolling Stone that Blackman trashed their work after they claimed he was more critical of female writers. “I learned over time that’s what he did when he was pissed at someone,” they told the magazine. “He was definitely into retaliation.”

In comments to Rolling Stone, sources also alleged that Blackman fired a writer for not telling him she was pregnant and fired an assistant after a pharmacy accidentally sent his prescription information to her.

“From the get-go, it was one of the worst jobs I’ve ever had in my life,” a Season 1 source told the mag.

A writer added, “Somebody called me, whispering basically into the phone, all freaked out, like, ‘Don’t take this job,’” one writer recalls. “Against my better judgment, I took the job.”

Courtesy of Netflix

Both Rolling Stone sources and an HR complaint also alleged that Blackman would make sexist and disparaging comments about women, including discussion about female staffers’ breast sizes and sexual proclivities. “She’s relentless,” he allegedly wrote in one text, referring to a staffer. “I’m sure that’s good for certain things… but in the room it’s exhausting. But … the rack.”

A male former staffer told Rolling Stone that he remembers Blackman talking about female staffers’ attractiveness and their bodies. “That kind of sh*t you hear old men say,” the male staffer added. “It’s just gross [and] repugnant, like, ‘Man, you are f**king vile.’”

A female writer, meanwhile, said, “I found it to be an incredibly sexist environment. If you were female, you were treated with hostility, or like you were stupid.”

Sources alleged to Rolling Stone that Blackman would make what they deemed homophobic and transphobic comments, even commenting about people’s sexualities and speculating about people’s anatomies. “He could be very good at dropping something that starts to be transphobic or homophobic,” a staffer told the magazine. “He toes the line of seeing who will join in and laugh with him, and then, if nobody does, really skillfully backpedals.”

And though Blackman publicly supported The Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page’s transition and oversaw a storyline in which Page’s Viktor also transitioned, the showrunner complained about the storyline idea in a text. “Elliot wants to come out as trans on the show. As Ivan. Oh my f**king God. Kill me now,” he wrote, according to a text provided to HR.

Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix

Amid the complaints, UCP investigated Blackman in spring 2023 and largely cleared the showrunner of the accusations, Rolling Stone reports, though people named in the January 2023 complaint told the magazine they were never asked to share their experiences.

In a report obtained by Rolling Stone, a UCP representative said that “it was more likely than not that Steve made inappropriate and unprofessional remarks” about staffers and “used foul or derogatory language,” adding that the company had “taken appropriate steps to address these findings with Steve.”

A spokesperson for Blackman generally denied the accusations published by Rolling Stone, telling the magazine they’re “entirely untrue” and “completely absurd.”

The spokesperson added: “Over six years and four seasons overseeing thousands of crew, actors, and writers, Steve Blackman led The Umbrella Academy to become a beloved series with devoted fans, enthralling stories, and a dedicated team making it all possible. These allegations from a handful of disgruntled employees are completely false and outrageous, and in no way reflect the collaborative, respectful, and successful working environment Mr. Blackman has cultivated.”

Netflix did not respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment, and UCP told the magazine it is “committed to providing a safe and respectful workplace. When concerns are reported, they are promptly reviewed, thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action is taken.”

The Umbrella Academy, Season 4 Premiere, Thursday, August 8, Netflix