Bryan Fuller, a producer and writer behind shows such as “Hannibal” and “American Gods,” has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually harassing and assaulting a colleague while working as a director on last year’s docuseries “Queer for Fear.”
Screenwriter/producer Bryan Fuller, recipient of the Outfest Achievement Award, poses at the 2017 Outfest Opening Night Gala at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday, July 6, 2017, in Los Angeles. Chris Pizzello/Invision via Associated Press file
Sam Wineman, a producer on the series, sued Fuller in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday for sexual harassment, retaliation, emotional distress, and other alleged workplace violations between 2020 and 2022. Wineman is also seeking damages from AMC Networks, Shudder, Steakhaus Productions, and other potentially liable parties, claiming they ignored his concerns and enabled Fuller’s behavior.
Wineman alleges that Fuller sexually assaulted him “several times,” including once pressing his penis against Wineman’s buttocks. The complaint also claims Fuller spoke of his genitalia and masturbation habits so often that it “became a running theme among employees.”
Wineman said a Steakhaus employee removed him from working on the show in August 2021, after he reported Fuller’s behavior and comments to an AMC and Shudder executive, and that other employees who supported him were fired.
A four-episode documentary that examines the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and the horror genre, “Queer for Fear” premiered on Shudder last year.
Fuller has worked on several “Star Trek” projects, and gained fame for creating a string of shows that amassed cult followings and critical acclaim in the 2000s, including “Pushing Daisies” and “Wonderfalls.” His best-known series may be “Hannibal,” a gruesome, surreal adaptation of Thomas Harris novels featuring the serial killer Hannibal Lecter.
Deadline announced in 2021 that Fuller was going to direct a reboot of Stephen King’s “Christine,” from Sony Pictures and Blumhouse, but it’s unclear if the project is still underway. Neither company responded to a request for comment about the lawsuit.
Fuller’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, didn’t respond to The Washington Post’s request for comment Friday, but he denied the lawsuit’s claims in a statement to Deadline and said Wineman would soon be sued for defamation.
“There is documented evidence which completely disproves the allegations,” he said. “Wineman created this fictitious story long after his gross incompetence necessitated his removal to extort AMC, Shudder, Steakhaus, and Bryan Fuller. He never raised any allegation of wrongdoing before his removal because he knew that this was absolute garbage. Sam Wineman just made the biggest mistake of his life and once the evidence comes out, he will forever be known as a pathological liar.”
Wineman is best known for directing the 2018 horror short film “The Quiet Room.” His attorneys didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. An AMC spokesperson said on Friday that the company was still reviewing the complaint and didn’t have an immediate comment. And WME, the agency that represents Fuller, declined to comment.
The lawsuit also accuses Fuller of bullying, insulting, and humiliating Wineman: “Whenever Mr. Fuller perceived anything plaintiff did as rejection, he retaliated by denying creative requests, sabotaging shots, heckling interviewees, storming off set, and ignoring plaintiff, sometimes for weeks, until plaintiff appeased him.”
Several executives either witnessed or were told about Fuller’s actions, the filing claims, but “ignored all warning signs, facilitated, and permitted Mr. Fuller’s unlawful conduct.”
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