‘The Wonder Years’ Cancellation Was Due To Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit, Says Actress Alley Mills
Twenty-five years before the sexual misconduct scandal took Hollywood by storm, a fan-favorite sitcom was forced to end because of a sexual misconduct lawsuit.
A Shocking Wonder Years Secret
The Wonder Years actress Alley Mills recently revealed in an interview with Yahoo! News that the ABC family sitcom, which aired from 1988 to 1993, was abruptly taken off the air due to a sexual misconduct lawsuit. The actress, who portrayed the series's matriarch, Norma Arnold, stated that the subject of the lawsuit was the show's star: Fred Savage.
"When we shot the series finale...nobody knew whether or not The Wonder Years was going to be renewed. And that's because of a completely ridiculous sexual harassment suit that was going on against Fred Savage, who is, like the least offensive, most wonderful, sweet human being that ever walked the face of the Earth," Mills told Yahoo! News.
Mills stated that the lawsuit was inconceivable and added that whoever filed the lawsuit against Savage, in the beginning, should let go of the issue and put in the past.
The Costume Designer Sues The Stars
Mills also further revealed that the woman who filed the charges against Savage was former costume designer Monique Long. Long accused not only Savage but also his co-star and onscreen brother, Jason Hervey, of verbal and physical harassment. The former costume designer for The Wonder Years stated that because of Hervey and Savage's alleged harassment, she failed at her job and was terminated from the show.
While the lawsuit was settled outside of court, Mills expressed her frustration about not having the power to defend her co-stars.
"We had a gag order on us, and I wanted to scream on television, 'This is ridiculous!" Mills told Yahoo! News.
Other Actors Accused Of Sexual Harassment
Savage and Hervey are not the only actors that have faced sexual misconduct claims.
Screenwriter Susan Braudy accused living screen legend Michael Douglas of sexual misconduct allegations when she appeared on the Today show. Braudy revealed that the incident happened when she worked for Douglas in the 1980s.
Actor James Franco's sexual misconduct allegations came hot off his Golden Globe win for Best Actor-Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Five women have accused The Disaster Artist actor and director of sexually assaulting them. Since those allegations, Franco has not received any Oscar nominations and was digitally removed from the latest cover of Vanity Fair.
Over the past few years, over 50 women claimed that comedian Bill Cosby sexually assaulted them. While the countless statute of limitations ran out on most of the accusers, former Temple University basketball player Andrea Constand took Cosby to court in 2016. The athlete stated that Cosby sexually assaulted her in 2004. While the case was declared a mistrial in June 2017, there will be a jury selection that will begin for the retrial on March 29.
