Greg Spottiswood, the creator, co-showrunner and executive producer of "All Rise," has been fired from the CBS legal drama following an investigation into his conduct in the series’ writers room. Spottiswood has been accused of racial insensitivity and on Wednesday Warner Bros. Television, the producer of "All Rise," revealed he was being let go.
"Warner Bros. Television has relieved All Rise executive producer Greg Spottiswood of his duties, effective immediately," the studio said in a statement to Deadline. "Executive producer Dee Harris-Lawrence will continue to serve as showrunner of the series, working closely with fellow executive producers Michael M. Robin and Len Goldstein. We remain committed, at all times, to providing a safe and inclusive working environment on our productions and for all employees."
Spottiswood's agency, APA, also announced it would no longer be working with him.
"Greg Spottiswood is no longer a client," a spokesperson said in a statement to the outlet. "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."
Spottiswood, 56, was involved in a writer's room controversy in 2019, during Season 1 of the show. At the time, five of the original seven writers, including three senior writers of color, had quit the show following conflict over how the show depicted people of color. Among them was Shernold Edwards, who told The New York Times they had to do "so much behind the scenes to keep these scripts from being racist and offensive."
Warner Bros. TV launched an initial investigation into the claims, but said it did not find proof to warrant Spottiswood's dismissal. It did, however, identify "areas for improvement, and implemented procedures and protocols in response to the findings."
New accusations arose during Season 2 of the show, with writers alleging Spottiswood had made comments that were perceived as racially insensitive. This resulted in a new investigation that led to his firing.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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