Steven Spielberg drops out as Bull executive producer over Michael Weatherly sexual harassment case

Deadline

Spielberg served as an executive producer on the CBS drama through his Amblin Television production company. But in wake of today's Season 4 renewal, Spielberg and Amblin TV have cut ties with the drama inspired by Dr. Phil's early career, after news of CBS' $9.5 million settlement with Eliza Dushku over her sexual harassment allegations against Weatherly emerged in the aftermath of Les Moonves' CBS firing. In an essay for the Boston Globe, Dushku called out Spielberg for not meeting her demand to speak about her sexual harassment experience. Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw are major supporters of the Time's Up movement. "Another condition I insisted on was that I be allowed to meet with Steven Spielberg, whose Amblin Television coproduces Bull, so I could talk with him about what occurred on his set," Dushku wrote in her December 2018 essay. "I have not yet had my meeting with Spielberg, but I cannot help but wonder where the legendary Hollywood director was throughout all of this. I have been a lifelong fan and assumed that if anyone could make changes, it would be Spielberg. Watching the Golden Globes and seeing Spielberg front-and-center wearing a 'Time’s Up' pin shortly after my settlement made me especially eager to meet with him." In an interview with Deadline in March, Dushku said she did end up talking to Spielberg along with the three head's up the Time's Up organization. "We sat and brainstormed and discussed possible solutions for this systemic imbalance of power, the abuse and harassment that we’ve been seeing and hearing and experiencing and both in our industry and beyond," she said, adding: "We need allies like Steven Spielberg, and of course, we do need the media to tell the stories and to help lay responsibility and accountability where it needs to be."