Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner accused of sexual harassment
The creator of hit US drama Mad Men has been accused of sexual harassment by one of the show's former writers.
Writer Kate Gordon claims the show's executive producer Matthew Weiner, 52, insisted on seeing her naked while they were working together late at night, eight years ago.
"He told me that I owed it to him to let him see me naked,” Gordon told tech news site The Information, a claim that a representative for Weiner has disputed.
His representative said: “Mr. Weiner spent eight to ten hours a day writing dialogue aloud with Miss Gordon, who started on Mad Men as his writers assistant. He does not remember saying this comment nor does it reflect a comment he would say to any colleague.”
Gordon has said she felt "threatened and devalued" after the alleged incident, while other staff writers on the show told The Information that they recalled Gordon's behaviour noticably changing at the time in question, when she was 27 years old. "I could see her confidence was shaken... She was subdued," one writer said, while another added that it was "obvious something had changed".
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Man Men, a period drama set in a Sixties advertising agency which often featured casual workplace sexism in its storylines, ran on US network AMC from 2007 to 2015. It won nine Emmys and three Golden Globes, while its success contributed to Weiner being named as one of "the most influential people in the world" by Time magazine in 2011.
These allegations follow a series of sexual harassment claims aimed at high-profile Hollywood figures in recent weeks, sparked by last month's New York Times investigation into decades of alleged sexual misconduct by Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinstein. Hollywood stars including Kate Beckinsale and Gwyneth Paltrow claim to have been personally harassed by the producer, while Boardwalk Empire actress Paz de la Huerta has accused him of rape.
Weinstein, who has denied all claims of non-consensual sex, is currently under investigation by police in London, New York and Los Angeles.