The ‘Affair’s showrunner has slammed claims of a "toxic" set.
In August 2018, Ruth Wilson admitted she was "not really allowed to talk about" her decisions for departing the drama series and it’s now been claimed one of Ruth’s biggest issues was being asked to take her clothes off on camera even at times when it didn’t seem necessary for the story.
A source told the Hollywood Reporter: "There was a culture problem at the show from the very beginning and a tone-deafness from [showrunner] Sarah Treem about recognising the position she was putting actors in. Over and over again, I witnessed Sarah Treem try to cajole actors to get naked even if they were uncomfortable or not contractually obligated to."
They claimed Sarah would pressure actresses to go nude with compliments or statements such as "everyone is waiting for you".
The source added: "It’s the things you would think would be coming out of a man’s mouth from the 1950s. The environment was very toxic."
And now Sarah has insisted she always made the environment "safe".
In a column she wrote for Deadline, she shared: "On a continuous basis throughout Ruth’s time on the show, I tried to protect her and shoot sex scenes safely and respectfully … We didn’t agree on the choices of the character or whether or not a sex scene was necessary to advance the plot, but that is not the same thing as not respecting or supporting an actress’s need to feel safe in her work environment, which is something I always take incredibly seriously."
And Sarah went on to praise Ruth’s acting ability.
She added: "As in many things, it is very tough to be a woman and do this job. I did not always agree with Ruth Wilson, but I did always have respect for her craft, her ability and her process and I tried to write her a character deserving of her immense talent. I know she’ll continue to tell the story of complex, multi-faceted, remarkable female characters for the rest of her long career."
The Affair’s showrunner slams claims of a ‘toxic’ set
