Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton on Why They Continue Talking About Alleged Assaults on ‘One Tree Hill’ and ‘Chicago P.D.’: ‘Face Some F—ing Accountability’

Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz are continuing to use their voices to spread awareness about the abuse they suffered throughout their television careers. During Mondays episode of the Drama Queens podcast, the actors were joined by Danneel Ackles to recap the Season 4 finale of One Tree Hill. However, the discussion turned into a much more emotional one that explained why they keep speaking out about the behavior of creator Mark Schwahn and what they experienced on later jobs.

First, Burton claims that Schwahn told everyone she was doing cocaine while filming the episode, during which she was taking caffeine pills to make it through the night shoots. Ackles and Burton also alleged that he then called their next employers to say they were problematic. Lenz added, He was super happy to say anything that he could to keep people from hiring us at any moment.

Both Burton and Bush then got emotional, recalling Schwahn very aggressively rubbing their backs while filming, which led to Burton snapping at him and telling him to stop touching the girls on set. She said later that night, he called her into his office and screamed at her. He just fucking launched into me. Like, How dare you? Dont you ever speak to me that way in front of people. What the hell are you talking about? I dont touch anybody,' Burton said. He was completely gaslighting me. Im like, Dude, Im friends with your wife. Im telling you you have to stop. He said, Ill never forget it, You think were friends? Im not your friend. Im your boss and dont you ever speak to me that way again. Hes screaming at me and those walls in the production office are paper thin. My brother, my boyfriend, my boyfriends dad are all on the other side of these paper-thin walls and no one came.

She said that the show was never good again for her, and she was nervous ahead of recording this podcast episode, wondering whether she still should keep recounting her traumatic experience. However, she brought up an actor on the show who is scared that Schwahn is landing ghostwriting gigs because he was never held accountable and because other producers never spoke out and said they wouldnt hire him. Theres this fear that were going to walk onto a set one day and be confronted with that, Burton said. I am making the commitment to keep talking about it so that other showrunners dont operate that way and so that hes got no safe passage.

One Tree Hill Season 4 finale CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection Bush also detailed some of her own experiences on Chicago P.D.

What you experienced that night, the way you got yelled at, thats exactly the shit I was dealing with in Chicago and also had a group of men who were like, I love you so much, youre our best friend. [They] never got involved and never stood up, she said. And I know some of them are mad that I acknowledge that when we talk about this show as well, and you know what? I dont care. That fear that Im going to keep talking about it better be what makes you behave better on every set youre on. From the time that you left North Carolina, the time I left Illinois, they better behave better. They better be a little afraid.

Burton left One Tree Hill at the end of Season 6 in 2009. Bush remained on the series through its final season in 2012, and joined the Dick Wolf police drama two years later. She exited Chicago P.D. at the end of Season 4 in 2017 after claiming she experienced abusive behavior on set.

When #MeToo was breaking that October, a story was coming out about my coworker in Chicago and executives managed to get that story killed. My rep said to me, Youre going to have to pick. You can either tell the story about your first boss or you can tell the story about your coworker but you cant tell both because then it looks like its your fault. That was professional advice, Bush stated on Mondays podcast. Burton tearfully responded, You picked us.

In November 2017, 18 women who worked on One Tree Hill, including the hosts and Ackles, came together and wrote a letter alleging theyd experienced abuse on set. Schwahn never publicly commented.

Bush went on to explain why she, too, will continue to share her story, as she had many times before.

When people on that other job say, Why wont you stop talking about it? or Why do you need to bring it up? Im like, You have no idea what I withheld thats benefitted you. And in the same way we all feel about our boss on this show, the way I feel about the predator on that other show is Im not going to be able to take this chip off my shoulder until you face some fucking accountability, she said. You got to do this thing, you got to scar all these women, you got to hurt all these people. Youve left a body count in your wake of people who have to go to therapy and do all of this gnarly work and we didnt ask for that.

She continued, I dont know what were supposed to do until there is more accountability. I dont know what were supposed to do that our boss was allowed to never make a comment. I dont know what Im supposed to do that my next employers rebranded sexual assault with witnesses as anger management issues in the press.

Five months after Bushs final episode of Chicago P.D. aired, the shows lead actor Jason Beghe was investigated by NBC for anger issues after multiple complaints about his behavior on set were filed.

When it was brought to our attention that there were concerns about inappropriate behavior on set, we promptly began an investigation in partnership with Human Resources and all parties involved, representatives for NBC, Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment said at the time. As a result of the investigation, we have already taken action, and it is a situation we continue to monitor very closely to ensure all of our employees feel safe and supported.

Beghe apologized for his behavior in a statement to Variety at the time, noting, I have struggled with anger issues for some time, and over the past year, I have been working with a coach to help me learn how to mitigate my temper.

The network and studio declined to comment.