“Supergirl” star Melissa Benoist spoke Monday about former executive producer Andrew Kreisberg’s firing amid revelations about sexual misconduct, saying that the production is recovering.
“That was a major disappointment,” Benoist told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour. But the show, she added, “has recovered as a cast and a crew together. We have an atmosphere on set now that I’m extremely proud of. There are a lot of amazing men that work on our show and we have a lot of amazing women in powerful positions on our show as well.”
Benoist pointed to executive producers Jessica Queller and Sarah Schechter as women who have asserted themselves in leadership positions on the show, which is in its third season on the CW. “We’re all in the fight for equality and for a safer atmosphere in the working space,” she said.
Kreisberg was an executive producer on Warner Bros.’ DC Comics-inspired superhero series “Supergirl,” “Flash,” “Arrow,” and “Legends of Tomorrow” until he was fired in November following an investigation into his workplace behavior. A report by Variety found multiple allegations from employees of Kreisberg engaging in sexual harassment and inappropriate physical behavior over several years.
Benoist spoke optimistically about the broader movement in the entertainment industry against sexual harassment and assault and what steps need to be taking to create progress.
“I think that’s a mater of empathy,” she said. “I think that’s a matter of listening to each other. It’s as simple as standing in each other’s shoes for a day, across genders, across sexuality, across any platforms. I just think it’s a matter of listening to each other. It’s hard to talk about something when you’re still so in the thick of it and you’re still so engulfed by sorting out confusion. But I really have hope. And I think that people are better than the way things have been.”
