Melissa Benoist, star of Supergirl, proves yet again that she’s not just a hero on television by breaking her silence over the firing of Andrew Kreisberg from Warner Bros.
Monday, January 15, Benoist addressed the issue at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour. During a panel for her Paramount project, Waco, the subject was brought forth allowing her to express her views on the firing of the ex-executive producer for her show Supergirl and the other shows that revolve around The CW Arrowverse.
Kreisberg, who was originally suspended, had numerous sexual harassment allegations brought against him, by men and women alike. Eventually, after an investigation was launched, Warner Bros. TV Group publically announced his immediate firing less than three weeks from his suspension.
At the panel on Monday, Benoist said that it was,
“a major disappointment, and the irony was not lost on me. I have to say our show has recovered as a cast and crew together. We have an atmosphere on set now that I’m extremely proud of and there are a lot of amazing men that work on our show. And we have a lot of amazing women that are in powerful positions on our show as well.”
She continued by saying,
“We’re all in the fight for equality and for a safer atmosphere in the working space.”
When she was asked if things were better now that Kreisberg was no longer in the picture, Melissa Benoist responded by saying,
“It’s a matter of empathy, and it’s a matter of listening to each other and maybe as standing in each other’s shoes for a day across genders, and across sexualities, across any platforms. I just think it’s a matter of listening to each other. It’s hard to talk about something when you’re still in the thick of it, when you’re still so engulfed by sorting out the confusion, but I have a lot hope. I think that people are better than the way things have been.”
Previously, in November, after Kreisberg was accused and suspended, Benoist took to Twitter to make a comment about what had happened behind the scenes. She refused to acknowledge Kreisberg, by name, publically at the time.
— Melissa Benoist (@MelissaBenoist) November 13, 2017
Her tweet caused other actors in the Arrowverse to respond including Caity Lotz, Chyler Leigh, Grant Gustin and Emily Bett Rickards. Stephen Amell chose to address the issue using Facebook Live a few days later, letting his followers know that the entire staff of Arrow had gathered together and talked about what had happened as a team.
After Kreisburg was let go, his name was removed from all credits across the Arrowverse, including the animated Vixen. Warner Bros. TV Group has not released any findings into the allegations, but Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schecht, the current executive producer on Supergirl, released a statement that said that they “support the individuals who came forward, and we agree with the studio’s decision.”
Supergirl, which resumed on Monday night, will go on a short hiatus after four weeks, due to a production delay. Mark Pedowitz, a CW boss, says it has nothing to do with the Kreisburg investigation. While Supergirl takes a break, Legends of Tomorrow will return to take its place with nine new episodes. Supergirl will come back to reclaim its Monday night slot on April 16th.
Source: EW.com – “Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist addresses Andrew Kreisberg firing”
Photo Credit: Getty Images
