Fred Savage Responds After Wonder Years Accusers Speak Out

Several women who worked with Fred Savage on the Wonder Years revival are sharing their accounts of the producer's alleged misconduct.

By Cydney Contreras Aug 09, 2022 9:13 PMTags
Watch: Fred Savage Speaks Out After Wonder Years Revival Firing

Fred Savage is working on bettering himself following allegations of misconduct on the set of the Wonder Years revival.

In a new statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Savage denied renewed allegations of sexual harassment and vowed to make improvements. "Since I was 6 years old, I have worked on hundreds of sets with thousands of people, and have always strived to contribute to an inclusive, safe and supportive work environment," he told THR Aug. 9. "It is devastating to learn that there are co-workers who feel I have fallen short of these goals. While there are some incidents being reported that absolutely did not and could not have happened, any one person who feels hurt or offended by my actions is one person too many."

He continued, "I will work to address and change any behavior that has negatively affected anyone, as nothing in this world is more important to me than being a supportive co-worker, friend, husband, father and person."

His statement comes in response to a report from the outlet, in which six unnamed women—they requested anonymity in fear of retaliation—who worked on the Wonder Years revival said they reported Savage to HR in February. On May 6, ABC confirmed he was fired as an executive producer and director on the series.

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The women said they were motivated to act after observing his interactions with a "much younger" crew member. While the young woman declined to speak with THR, those who did speak with the outlet said that she stayed in a house occupied by Savage while they were filming Wonder Years and that he bought her expensive gifts. The sources grew concerned after witnessing the woman's interactions with Savage.

But the crew member wasn't the only woman Savage paid special attention to. Sources named a second woman, who spoke to THR under guarantee of anonymity. She said that Savage took her to dinner, but she rejected his gift offers. "We became acquaintances and friends," she said. "It was very platonic." 

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The second woman said she was later fired from the show with "no prior warning or cause," but Savage was "ecstatic" since it meant she could focus on her career aspirations.

Although she no longer worked on Wonder Years, the woman remained friends with the director until he allegedly came onto her in the bathroom of an Atlanta bar. "He put his mouth on mine very forcefully," she told THR. "He went for the top of my pants. I brushed him away. Then he put his mouth on mine again, grabbed my hand and pulled it on his groin area. I was pulling back. He stopped very angrily. I shoulder checked him so I could get out." 

The second woman added that Savage continued to text and call her for weeks after the alleged incident, before leaving a final voicemail on her phone, which she shared with THR. "It's your old friend Fred," he said in the voicemail. "We worked together for a while and then we didn't and then I was a huge asshole. A huge asshole. And I'm really sorry. And I've kind of owed you an apology for a minute here and so, uh, the truth is I really like you and I really want to be friends and I'm so sorry that I f--ked that up."

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At this point, several women reported Savage to Disney HR in February. One of the women told THR, "To their credit, I was contacted within hour. An investigation started immediately and he was barred from set."

E! News reached out to ABC and Savage's legal reps for comment and didn't hear back.

For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.