A week ago, it was announced that actor Jason Mitchell had been fired from the Showtime series “The Chi,” as well as an upcoming Netflix film, “Desperados,” due to on-set misconduct that included alleged sexual harassment. It’s a messy, sad story that seems to have been a fairly open secret for those that worked with Mitchell. How much of an open secret? Well, according to the showrunner for “The Chi,” everyone knew about Mitchell’s antics as early as the beginning of Season 2.
Speaking to The Wrap, “The Chi” showrunner Ayanna Floyd says that not only was she warned about Mitchell’s behavior before taking over the duties last year, but she also became the target of some of his outbursts during the production. Floyd says that she actually went to “The Chi” creator Lena Waithe and the network, Showtime, with her concerns, but there wasn’t any action taken. And if what Floyd says is true, it would appear that Waithe, who is one of the more outspoken feminist advocates in Hollywood, actually warned the showrunner about Mitchell.
“When I took the helm in Season 2, it was Lena who informed me of the issues between Jason Mitchell and Tiffany Boone from Season 1, and that Tiffany was thinking of leaving the show because of it,” Floyd said. “As a result of this information, I discussed Tiffany’s claims with the studio’s HR department and set up HR presentations for the writers, cast, and crew. Ultimately, everyone was well aware of Jason’s behavior and his multiple HR cases, including Lena, the creator and an executive producer of the show, who is very involved at the studio and network level.”
She continued, “As Showrunner, I did everything I could to deal with his behavior, by speaking with the Studio’s HR department multiple times and instructing one actress to call HR herself, before I became a target of his rage and inappropriateness, and had to report him to HR, as well.”
As reported, Mitchell wasn’t fired from “The Chi” until after Netflix parted ways with him due to a completely separate incident that occurred. It was only then that Waithe and Showtime got rid of the actor.
No word on how this affects “The Chi” Season 3, or more specifically, Floyd’s involvement in the series. Obviously, Mitchell will no longer be part of it. Season 2 of “The Chi” is currently airing Sunday nights on Showtime.