Fred Savage Denies Physical Assault Claims On ‘Grinder’ Set
Fred Savage is denying claims that he verbally and physically assaulted a former costume designer on the set of his Fox comedy, Grinder.
The allegations against Savage come as female-led movements such as Time's Up and #MeToo have taken Hollywood by storm.
Savage Accused Of Assault
On Wednesday, March 21, YoungJoo Hwang, a former costume designer who worked on the now-canceled series, filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles court alleging that the actor created a hostile environment on set and behaved aggressively toward women during the show's filming in 2015.
Hwang also claims that that Savage, who played the role of Stewart Sanderson on the series, was verbally abusive toward her on set and also cited an incident when the 41-year-old actor had a violent outburst and physically attacked her.
She alleges that one time when she was brushing dandruff off his tuxedo jacket, Savage lost his cool and violently struck her on the arm thrice with his hand.
Hwang has filed the suit not only against Savage but also against Fox, stating that the network was protecting the actor and did not take any action to correct his behavior or the hostile work environment he created on set.
The costumer is suing Savage and the network for assault, battery, discrimination, and gender harassment, among other claims, and is seeking real and punitive damages for the same.
Savage And Fox Deny Hwang's Claims
Savage released a statement on Wednesday, vehemently denying Hwang's meritless and false allegations.
"None of her claims could be substantiated because they did not happen," Savage said in the 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 also released a statement saying that it takes allegations of inappropriate behavior in the workplace very seriously, and after conducting a thorough investigation into Hwang's allegations, it found no evidence to support her claims. The network added that it will continue to defend the meritless claims put forth by the former costume designer.
Savage, who shot to fame as a child artist on The Wonder Years, currently features on the Netflix comedy Friends from College. He also hosts the ABC game show series Child Support, which was recently picked up for a second season.