Warner Bros. Television Group has fired prominent television producer and writer Andrew Kreisberg after he was accused of sexual harassment.
“After a thorough investigation, Warner Bros. Television Group has terminated Andrew Kreisberg’s employment, effective immediately,” the company said in a statement to CNN. “We remain committed to providing a safe working environment for our employees and everyone involved in our productions.”
The company began its investigation into accusations against Kreisberg, who co-created several of The CW’s hit comic book shows (“The Flash,” “Supergirl,” “Arrow” and “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”) earlier this month.
Warner Bros. TV said Greg Berlanti, whose company Berlanti Productions oversees the series, is expected to assume “additional responsibilities” on both “The Flash” and “Supergirl” in light of Kreisberg’s firing.
“We encouraged and supported this investigation, we believe and support the individuals who came forward, and we agree with the studio’s decision,” Berlanti Productions said in a statement. “Nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of all our colleagues — coworkers, crew and staff alike.”
(Warner Bros., like CNN, is owned by Time Warner.)
The suspension was first reported November 10 by Variety. The magazine also detailed several allegations made by 19 sources, none of whom were named in the story.
Variety said the sources, who said they either witnessed or were subjected to the alleged harassment, feared retaliation.
Kreisberg denied the allegations, according to Variety. CNN contacted his agent several times following the publication of Variety’s story but did not receive a response.
A request for comment following news of his termination was also not immediately returned.
According to the Variety report, the sources accused Kreisberg of “frequently touching people without their permission, asking for massages from uncomfortable female staff members, and kissing women without asking.”
“Almost every source cites a constant stream of sexualized comments about women’s appearances, their clothes, and their perceived desirability,” Variety reported.
Kreisberg told the magazine that he has “made comments on women’s appearances and clothes in my capacity as an executive producer, but they were not sexualized.”
“Like many people, I have given someone a non-sexual hug or kiss on the cheek,” he added, and denied to Variety that any inappropriate touching or massages had occurred.
The shows that Kreisberg worked on are among The CW’s most popular. All of them center on superhero characters from the DC series of comics.
“Arrow” premiered in 2012 and was followed by “The Flash” and “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.” “Supergirl” premiered on CBS in 2015, but later moved to The CW.
The shows often share characters and so-called crossover episodes.
