Fred Savage has been fired from ABC’s comedy series The Wonder Years. The show is a 2021 reboot of the 1988 series of the same name.
Savage served as an executive producer and director on the critically acclaimed series but faced multiple misconduct complaints.
The Wonder Years is an ABC series that premiered in September 2021, with 22 episodes ordered for Season 1.
Fred Savage fired by Disney for inappropriate conduct
The television studio released a statement confirming that Savage was fired after an investigation into complaints about his behavior concluded.
“Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched,” a spokesman for Disney’s 20th Television said in a statement to Deadline, continuing:
“Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of ‘The Wonder Years.’”
No specified allegations against Savage — who starred in the original series — were revealed in the statement.
Deadline sources claim that the actor allegedly exhibited inappropriate behavior and had verbal outbursts throughout production.
Fred Savage has a history of misconduct allegations
Savage has a history of facing different forms of misconduct at work.
Actress Alley Mills said in 2018 that the original The Wonder Years series was canceled after a former costume designer filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Savage, who was 16 years old at the time and a 20-year-old co-star.
The suit was settled out of court after it attracted unwanted publicity to the series, which was wrapping up its final season.
Mills, who played Savage’s character mother in the series, defended him, calling it a “completely ridiculous sexual harassment suit,” adding that Savage was the “least offensive, most wonderful, sweet human being that ever walked the face of the Earth.”
In 2018, a female crew member who worked on Savage’s Fox series The Grinder accused him of attacking her on set in 2015.
Savage said the allegations were “completely without merit and absolutely untrue” at the time, also per Deadline.
An investigation later cleared him via 20th Television, which produced The Grinder and currently distributes The Wonder Years reboot.
Season 1 of the reimagined series The Wonder Years is currently airing, and Savage directed at least seven episodes.
The ABC series has one episode remaining before the finale on May 18, 2022; A second season has yet to be announced.