One Tree Hill cast accuse creator Mark Schwahn of sexual harassment

Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, and Bethany Joy Lenz all came out against the showrunner

Mark Schwahn at NBCUniversal's 2015 Winter TCA Tour (Getty)

One Tree Hill showrunner Mark Schwahn has been accused of sexual harassment by members of the show’s cast and crew.

Initial allegations were made by Audrey Wauchope, one of the show’s writers, who described her interaction with Schwahn on Twitter.

Two days after those social media posts, One Tree Hill actors Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, and Bethany Joy Lenz, along with many others, posted a joint letter accusing the showrunner of harassment.

“[We] have chosen this forum to stand together in support of Audrey Wauchope and one another,” wrote the actors, as published by Variety.

They called Schwahn’s behaviour an “open secret” on the show’s set, alleging that “supervisors in the room were not the protectors they were supposed to be.”

“Many of us were spoken to in ways that ran the spectrum from deeply upsetting, to traumatizing, to downright illegal,” the letter continues. “And a few of us were put in positions where we felt physically unsafe. More than one woman on our show had her career trajectory threatened.”

Wauchope had previously described being allegedly unwontedly touched by an unnamed man, shown photos of a naked actress without their consent, and her writing partner Rachel Specter being brought into an office and proposed to.

“I’m furious and sad and everything else for the women who have sat on that couch next to that man,” she wrote. “And I’m furious and sad and everything else that years later I don’t feel safe to be able to do anything real about this and that it seems to be happening all over this town.”

Schwahn created and executively produced One Tree Hill — a series that ran for eight series between 2003 and 2012 — as well as The Royals.

E!, Universal Cable Productions, and Lionsgate Television — who are behind The Royals — said in a statement: “We are monitoring the information carefully. E!, Universal Cable Productions and Lionsgate Television are committed to providing a safe working environment in which everyone is treated respectfully and professionally.”

Schwahn has not responded to comment on the situation. The allegations come amidst numerous Hollywood personal being accused of sexual harassment, including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and James Toback.