Chris Savino, the creator of Nickelodeon hit The Loud House, has reportedly been fired after multiple women have come forward accusing him of sexual harassment, including a director for Bojack Horseman.
Cartoon Brew first reported that Savino had been suspended, after insiders at the network told them at least a dozen women have come forward about Savino’s alleged harassment, which includes “unwanted sexual advances to threats of industry blacklisting after the end of consensual relationships with co-workers.”
Variety is reporting that Savino has been officially fired, though the internal memo they shared from Cyma Zarghami, president of Viacom’s Nickelodeon group, does not seem to directly mention Savino. It does encourage employees to go directly to HR without fear if they have been harassed or have concerns, and claims that Viacom is committed to “fostering a safe and professional workplace environment.”
Following the publication of Cartoon Brew’s story, Bojack Horseman director Anne Walker Farrell alleged on Twitter that she was harassed 15 years ago by Savino, and shared what appears to be a screenshot of her message to Nickelodeon about him:
Walker Farrell also provided Cartoon Brew with a statement:
I think you can enjoy a show while still recognizing (and calling out!) bad behavior from its makers. It doesn’t bother me that people like Loud House, what infuriates me is Savino’s long-term predatory behavior. I hope Nickelodeon’s HR department and the animation community at large can come together to put an end to it.
Another source told Cartoon Brew said they were a friend of a woman who met Savino at a development program at Nickelodeon, where he was her supervisor:
He [Savino] got her personal contact information under the guise of “helping her develop the project off hours.” He presented himself as a mentor. He then proceeded to send her unwanted text messages that were lewd and sexual in nature on more than one occasion. When she turned down his advances, her development project was let go.
Both Cartoon Brew and the Hollywood Reporter received the same statement from Nickelodeon, which has not confirmed Savino’s suspension or termination:
“Viacom is committed to the safety and well-being of our employees, and to fostering a workplace free from harassment. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on specific employee matters, but we take all allegations of this nature very seriously, investigate them thoroughly and take any necessary actions as a result.”
The Loud House has been airing since 2016, and is reportedly the network’s number two series in the 2-11 demographic. Jezebel has reached out to Chris Savino’s representatives and will update when we receive a response.