JamesG
07-01-2024, 07:55 PM
"The Umbrella Academy" Showrunner Steve Blackman Denies Allegations of Toxic & Retaliatory Behavior
by Denise Petski
July 1, 2024
Steve Blackman, co-creator of "The Umbrella Academy", is denying allegations of “toxic, bullying, manipulative and retaliatory behavior” while serving as showrunner on the hit Netflix sci-fi drama.
The allegations by 12 former writers and support staffers on the show were detailed in a January 2023 human resources complaint, according to a report in Rolling Stone. They include a female writing team, one of whom was a new mother who returned from leave a month before her contract ended.
When the writers room was extended for an additional 10 weeks to complete the season, the female writing team’s contract, according to show sources cited by Rolling Stone, was not extended.
A spokesman for Blackman told Rolling Stone, Black worked with UCP’s HR department to ensure the women’s contracts were concluded “in full compliance with all policies and regulations,” and the decision was “solely based on performance and budget.” Blackman also denied any other allegations of retaliation.
Other allegations made by the former writers and staffers included a demand for “unwavering loyalty” by Blackman and that Blackman would reduce the roles or fire staffers who disagreed or pushed back against his ideas.
Blackman also was accused of comments that sources said were found to be sexist, homophobic, and transphobic.
In text messages provided to HR as part of the 2023 complaint, Blackman wrote to an unnamed recipient, “Elliot [Page] wants to come out as trans on the show. As Ivan. Oh my f—king God. Kill me now.”
But a representative for Blackman told Rolling Stone Blackman initially was hesitant because Season 3 scripts were already written and would require a tremendous amount of work to rewrite and his reaction was not meant to indicate he did not support Page.
https://deadline.com/2024/07/the-umbrella-academy-steve-blackman-toxic-behavior-allegations-1235998462/
by Denise Petski
July 1, 2024
Steve Blackman, co-creator of "The Umbrella Academy", is denying allegations of “toxic, bullying, manipulative and retaliatory behavior” while serving as showrunner on the hit Netflix sci-fi drama.
The allegations by 12 former writers and support staffers on the show were detailed in a January 2023 human resources complaint, according to a report in Rolling Stone. They include a female writing team, one of whom was a new mother who returned from leave a month before her contract ended.
When the writers room was extended for an additional 10 weeks to complete the season, the female writing team’s contract, according to show sources cited by Rolling Stone, was not extended.
A spokesman for Blackman told Rolling Stone, Black worked with UCP’s HR department to ensure the women’s contracts were concluded “in full compliance with all policies and regulations,” and the decision was “solely based on performance and budget.” Blackman also denied any other allegations of retaliation.
Other allegations made by the former writers and staffers included a demand for “unwavering loyalty” by Blackman and that Blackman would reduce the roles or fire staffers who disagreed or pushed back against his ideas.
Blackman also was accused of comments that sources said were found to be sexist, homophobic, and transphobic.
In text messages provided to HR as part of the 2023 complaint, Blackman wrote to an unnamed recipient, “Elliot [Page] wants to come out as trans on the show. As Ivan. Oh my f—king God. Kill me now.”
But a representative for Blackman told Rolling Stone Blackman initially was hesitant because Season 3 scripts were already written and would require a tremendous amount of work to rewrite and his reaction was not meant to indicate he did not support Page.
https://deadline.com/2024/07/the-umbrella-academy-steve-blackman-toxic-behavior-allegations-1235998462/