Now Playing
CBSGreg Spottiswood, the creator and executive producer of CBS’ legal drama All Rise, has been fired following an investigation into allegations of racism against him.
Deadline reports Spottiswood was accused of using racist language in the writers room, despite the fact that five of the drama’s original seven writers were people of color, including his co-executive producer, former showrunner Sunil Nayar. He quit the show in late 2019 over the series’ depiction of people of color, the trade notes.
In August, the flap made The New York Times, with a former writer, Shernold Edwards, a Black woman, claiming that the show, which also stars a Black woman, Simone Missick, “inaccurately depicted how a Black woman would think or act.” Edwards claimed then, “we had to do so much behind the scenes to keep these scripts from being racist and offensive.”
In addition to Missick, All Rise features many actors of color, including Ryan Michelle Bathe, Todd Williams and Reggie Lee.
In a statement, Warner Bros. Television noted they have “relieved All Rise executive producer Greg Spottiswood of his duties, effective immediately. Executive producer Dee Harris-Lawrence will continue to serve as showrunner of the series,” adding, “We remain committed, at all times, to providing a safe and inclusive working environment on our productions and for all employees.”
In response to the termination, Spottiswood was also let go from his agency, APA, which told Deadline, “APA is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion at the highest levels, and we stand with our clients and industry partners in our commitment to furthering that mission.”
By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
after allegations creator Fired investigation Language Racist Spottiswood
