CBS’ ‘All Rise’ Creator Greg Spottiswood Fired After Misconduct Investigation

Greg Spottiswood, the creator, executive producer, and co-showrunner of the ultra-woke CBS courtroom drama All Rise, has been fired over racism allegations and abusive behavior in the writer’s room.

Spottiswood has been under fire for his behavior during both seasons of the drama following the career of an activist, black female judge in Los Angeles. Spottiswood promised to change his ways at the end of the show’s first year on the air. Now, he has left the show after an investigation of his ongoing behavior, according to Deadline.

“Warner Bros. Television has relieved All Rise executive producer Greg Spottiswood of his duties, effective immediately,” the studio said in a statement. “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 has not only been removed from his series, but he was also dropped by his agent, APA, which announced that the writer-producer is “no longer a client.”

“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,” the agency added.

Spottiswood became embroiled in controversy last year when five of the show’s original seven writers — including the three top minority writers — accused Spottiswood of refusing to accept their ideas on how minority characters should be treated on the series. These writers eventually quit over the dispute. Ultimately, Spottiswood promised to moderate his dismissive and combative behavior with underlings after pressure from the studio.

Last August, Shernold Edwards, one of the writers who quit the show, told the New York Times that Spottiswood’s concepts “inaccurately depicted how a Black woman would think or act.” Edwards added that she quit because “we had to do so much behind the scenes to keep these scripts from being racist and offensive.”

Sunil Nayar, an Indian-American writer, said he quit because Spottiswood treated him like an unimportant token.

“It became clear to me, when I left the show, that I was only there because I’m the brown guy,” Nayar told the Times. “Greg hired me to be his brown guy.”

After last year’s controversy, Spottiswood issued a statement claiming that he intended to change his ways.

“I acknowledge that I can have a rhetorical, professorial tone in the room, and that can be perceived by some as condescending and that I can be defensive in creative conversations and debates,” he said in a statement last year. “I remain strongly committed to improving my communication style and skills, and to being a more inclusive leader — ensuring that writers and artists are not just heard, but feel listened to, respected, safe, and valued.”

However, despite Spottiswood’s promises to moderate his behavior, it appears things did not improve in the writer’s room.

Co-showrunner, Dee Harris-Lawrence, who has been writing and producing TV since the 1990s and was brought on half-way through the show’s first season, will helm the final three episodes of the 17-episode order for season two.

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