(NEXSTAR) – Fred Savage has been terminated from his role as executive producer and director of ABC’s “The Wonder Years,” the show’s production company has confirmed.
Savage, who starred as Kevin Arnold in the late-’80s/early-’90s series that inspired ABC’s 2021 revival, was accused of multiple allegations of inappropriate conduct, a representative for 20th Television told Nexstar.
“Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched,” the spokesperson told the outlet. “Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of ‘The Wonder Years.’”
An anonymous source cited by The Hollywood Reporter said Savage cooperated with the investigation.
Savage, 45, was an executive producer on the series and directed eight episodes. The show, which follows a middle-class Black family in ’60s, debuted in 2021. It has not yet been renewed for a second season.
Savage had previously been accused of sexual misconduct on the set of the original “Wonder Years” series in 1993, along with his co-star Jason Hervey. A costume designer accused the two of verbal and physical harassment, which the two actors denied, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time. Alley Mills, who played the mother of Savage and Hervey’s characters on the series, later claimed the allegations were responsible, in part, for the show’s cancellation.
“When we shot the series finale … nobody knew whether or not ‘The Wonder Years’ was going to be renewed,” Mills told Yahoo in 2018. “And that’s because of a completely ridiculous sexual harassment suit that was going on against Fred Savage — who is, like, the least offensive, most wonderful, sweet human being that ever walked the face of the Earth.”
The lawsuit was ultimately settled out of court.
In 2018, Savage was also accused of harassment and assault on the set of the 2015 Fox series “The Grinder” by a former costumer designer. After an investigation, producers at 20th Century Fox Television said they found no evidence of wrongdoing on Savage’s part.
