Eliza Dushku Confirms What We Suspected About How Toxic The Bull Set Really Was
Eliza Dushku has been acting since she was a young child, starring in shows such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," "Tru Calling," and "Dollhouse" (per IMDb). In 2017, she landed what seemed would be a fabulous role on the Michael Weatherly series "Bull." However, the experience did not go well. She recently testified about the toxic behavior she allegedly faced on the set to the House Judiciary Committee and it was certainly enlightening.
During her testimony, which the committee shared on Twitter, Dushku explained she was "aggressively pursued" by CBS to "become a co-lead in a show called 'Bull.'" She told the Boston Globe the pitch was that the series needed a strong female to balance Weatherly's character and they wanted something of a "Moonlighting" feel. Dushku took on the role, which started toward the end of Season 1. She said CBS wanted her to be a series regular as Season 2 started, with a contract option that took her through as many as six seasons.
Unfortunately, Dushku said, she quickly learned the environment on the "Bull" set was not something she could endure. Soon after she spoke up about what she felt was inappropriate conduct on the set, her character was written off of the show. In 2018, The New York Times reported on a secret settlement between CBS and Dushku, along with details regarding her allegations. Now, she's sharing some of those details herself.
Eliza Dushku is sharing her experiences
In her testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on November 16, shared via Twitter, Eliza Dushku said the issues began during her first week on the "Bull" set. "I found myself the brunt of crude, sexualized and lewd verbal assaults. I suffered near constant sexual harassment from my co-star." She did not mention Michael Weatherly's name, but said her co-star called her "legs," leered at her, and smelled her. He also allegedly talked about spanking her and taking her to his "rape van." She testified that the comments "were incessant and demeaning and directed at me in the middle of what was supposed to be a professional workplace."
Dushku detailed that some "Bull" crew members followed her co-star's lead with the inappropriate commentary, and when she confronted her co-star, he insisted, "No one is more respectful of women than me." Dushku said the issues escalated and "it was pervasive and mean and intentionally disempowering." She later learned within an hour of that particular conversation she'd had with Weatherly, he'd texted the head of CBS Studios to complain she had a "humor deficit," and she was fired the next day.
Dushku noted she cannot publicly share video evidence supporting her claims due to mandatory arbitration clauses in her contract. Her testimony was in support of proposed legislation that would get rid of such contract clauses.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).