'Supergirl' Star Melissa Benoist Addresses Showrunner Andrew Kreisberg's Sexual Misconduct

Melissa Benoist expresses disappointment with the show's ex-producer, but hope for a safer future in Hollywood.

Melissa Benoist, star of Supergirl
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Image via Getty/Robby Klein

Melissa Benoist, star of Supergirl

Star of Supergirl Melissa Benoist spoke out Monday on former executive producer Andrew Kreisberg’s firing after allegations of sexual misconduct.

At the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, Benoist said, "That was a major disappointment, and the irony was not lost on me.” 

She continued, “I have to say that the way our show has recovered as a cast and a 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 — now one of our co-showrunners is a female, [Jessica Queller], and the executive producer Sarah Schechter. We’re all in the fight for equality and for a safer atmosphere in the working space.”

Benoist said that the production of the CW show is recovering after Variety reported a number of sexual assault accusations against the producer back in November. Kreisberg, who was also an executive producer on The FlashArrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, was fired after 15 women and four men alleged sexual harassment and physical misconduct. Sources alleged to Variety that Kreisberg touched people without their consent, made sexual comments to women about their appearance and clothing choices, kissed women without their consent, requested massages from female staff members, and created a hostile and toxic workplace environment.

Warner Bros. Television Group initially suspended the producer during an investigation. Kreisberg continued to deny the allegations, although he told Variety he has, "given someone a non-sexual hug or kiss on the cheek," and, "made comments on women’s appearances and clothes in my capacity as an executive producer, but they were not sexualized."

Benoist has hope for the future of the industry as a whole. “I think 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 so in the thick of it, when you’re still so engulfed by sorting out the confusion, but I have a lot of hope. I think that people are better than the way things have been.”

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