“MacGyver” actor Lucas Till is opening up about the alleged abuse he suffered during the first season of producer Peter Lenkov’s CBS show.
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Till expressed discomfort while working with Lenkov, who was fired by CBS earlier this month as a result of toxic claims in the workplace. The 29-year-old actor said he was the victim of bullying, particularly bodily shame, by the fired employee.
“I’ve never worked so hard in my life, and I’m fine with hard work,” Till told the media. “But the way Peter treats people is just unacceptable. I had suicide that first year on the show, because of the way he made me feel. But the way he has treated the people around me, that it’s just my breaking point. “
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The network fired Lenkov, who also worked on “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum PI,” after completing an investigation into multiple claims that he allegedly “created a toxic work environment,” according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), citing sources. Lenkov responded to the dismissal in his own statement to The Hollywood Reporter at the time.
Lucas Till attends The Paley Center For Media’s PaleyFest LA 2019 – “Hawaii Five-0”, “MacGyver” and “Magnum PI” at Dolby Theater on March 23, 2019 in Hollywood, California.
(Gregg DeGuire / WireImage)
“Now is the time to listen and I am listening. It is difficult to hear that the work environment that I directed was not the work environment that my colleagues deserved, and therefore, I deeply feel it. I accept responsibility for what I listen to and am committed to do the work that is required to do better and be better, “said Lenkov.
He even said he briefed top CBS executives on Lenkov’s behavior in 2017 and this year.
“Basically they didn’t take it seriously,” he said.
Meanwhile, a source told Vanity Fair that it is what led to Lenkov being fired from the network.
The outlet also cited a memo that Till sent to the Human Resources department in which the actor recalled that Lenkov told him that his legs “were really horrible” when he was dressed in a hospital gown. The actor also accused Lenkov of once yelling at a director about a tucked-in shirt, saying “he looks like a f-boy.”
“I’ve had trouble maintaining ‘men’s weight’ on the show because I don’t have time to exercise and an unpredictable schedule for proper nutrition,” Till also said in the email.
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CBS representatives Lenkov and Till did not immediately respond to Fox News’ requests for comment on Tuesday. However, one of Lenkov’s lawyers, Dale Kinsella, told Vanity Fair that Till’s allegations of abuse and bodily shame are “100 percent false and untrue,” adding that Lenkov “has defended him since beginning and it has only been a support for him. “
Executive producer Peter Lenkov speaks on stage at the ‘MacGyver’ panel discussion during the CBS portion of the 2016 Television Critics Association Summer Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California .
(Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)
The Vanity Fair article included claims about Lenkov from 30 sources, including one who claimed to notice a change in Till while working on the show. In addition, a former black employee said that she did not last more than a year working with Lenkov because they let her go. Another black employee claimed that Lenkov was generous to her until he finally became “miserable” under her leadership. The last staff member expressed feelings of “isolation, condescension and scrutiny” as a black woman. Lenkov denied these allegations through his lawyer.
Meanwhile, a handful of employees who worked with Lenkov on other projects at CBS shared positive memories.
“I was very surprised to hear what happened, because I never felt it created a toxic environment,” said Linda Sutton, who worked as a decorator on “Hawaii Five-O,” adding that she found it “very cordial.” and a “pleasure” to work.
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Michael Neumann, who worked with Lenkov for 10 years, said he “enjoyed” Lenkov’s company.
“In many cases, he was a man whose workload dictated that he was perhaps courteous to employees who did not share his vision, [but] I have great respect for him. “
