A former costume designer has accused actor Fred Savage of physical harassment on the set of the TV show The Grinder. In a press conference on Wednesday, Youngjoo Hwang, speaking alongside her attorney, accused the actor of repeated verbal harassment that turned physical when she tried to remove lint from his costume. “He would routinely curse at me, yell at me, demean me when all I was trying to do was my job,†Hwang said. Once, when she tried to remove lint, he slapped her arm three times. Hwang did not specify when this happened, but said she immediately reported the alleged incident to her superiors, who discouraged her from taking further action. “I’m not the only woman on set that Mr. Savage targeted,†Hwang said. “There were others, and this was well-known on set.†Hwang and her attorney filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging assault and battery among other crimes.
Savage released a statement Wednesday denying the allegations, and disputing Hwang’s claim that the studio did not open an investigation into his conduct. “These accusations are completely without merit and absolutely untrue,†the actor said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Fox conducted an extensive internal investigation into her claims, a process in which I fully participated. After concluding a thorough investigation, Fox determined that there was absolutely no evidence to support these accusations. None of her claims could be substantiated because they did not happen.â€