Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty; Amanda Edwards/WireImage
The actress, 37, first came forward with the claims against her former costar following his inappropriate remarks at the beginning of their professional relationship, theNew York Timesreported.
The pair had been working together on CBS’s primetime drama — Dushku joining the show in March 2017, playing a character that had a major three-episode arc, with plans to be added as a series regular.
Not long after her start, however, Weatherly, 50, allegedly commented on Dushku’s appearance, brought up a threesome, and made a rape joke in front of other cast and crew members, according to theTimes.
Michael Weatherly and Eliza Dushku on Bull.David M. Russell/CBS via Getty
Representatives for Dushku and Weatherly did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Weatherly told theTimeshe regrets what he said and how he made his costar feel.
“During the course of taping our show, I made some jokes mocking some lines in the script,” Weatherly said in the statement to the publication. “When Eliza told me that she wasn’t comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized. After reflecting on this further, I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza.”
Dushku’s accusations and the settlement came to light as part of an investigation which is examining the behavior of the company’s former chief executiveLeslie Moonvesand the culture as a whole at CBS.
Eliza Dushku.Andrew H. Walker/Getty
His behavior was enough to make Dushku extremely uncomfortable, causing her to bring it to his attention, theTimesreports. But only a short time after their confrontation, Dushku was stunned to learn that her once-promising character had been suddenly written off the show.
As a result, Dushku signed a confidential settlement, granting her $9.5 million — approximately the same amount she would have made as a Bull cast member for four seasons, theTimesreported.
Michael Weatherly.Desiree Navarro/WireImage
In a statement to PEOPLE, the company spoke to those concerns and touched upon the mediation process with Dushku.
“The settlement of these claims reflects the projected amount that Ms. Dushku would have received for the balance of her contract as a series regular, and was determined in a mutually agreed upon mediation process at the time,” they added.
CBS has been surrounded in controversy for months since over a dozen women also accused Moonves ofsexual misconduct.
Moonves has maintained claims against him are either untrue or are the result of consensual relationships.
“Untrue allegations from decades ago are now being made against me that are not consistent with who I am,” he said in a previous statement.
source: people.com
