Variety reports that Netflix and Warner Bros. TV have ended their association with Fuller House showrunner Jeff Franklin after receiving complaints that he was “verbally abusive” and “inappropriate” on set.
Franklin created Full House and oversaw the Netflix spin-off for three seasons, but his contract won’t be renewed in light of the allegations from his former writing staff. Apparently, he was “verbally abusive” and made “inappropriate statements” in the writers’ room, though Variety makes it clear that Franklin hasn’t been accused of sexual harassment or physical misconduct. There were also complaints about Franklin’s “habit of bringing women he dated to the set and sometimes giving them bit parts in the series.” Franklin’s lawyer declined to comment to Variety.
In a statement, Warner Bros. TV said “We are not renewing Jeff Franklin’s production deal and he will no longer be working on Fuller House,” but according to one of Variety’s sources, the “TV executives received an anonymous letter more than two years ago with detailed allegations” about the ousted showrunner’s behavior. The studio executives “were warned that Franklin ‘was a walking lawsuit waiting to happen.’” However, the studio did eventually “initiate a probe after receiving numerous complaints about Franklin’s behavior.”
Update, March 1 at 9:26 a.m.: After declining to comment on Variety’s story, Jeff Franklin has issued a statement of sorts via Instagram. The ousted showrunner doesn’t actually address any of the complaints against him, just bids farewell to the cast he’s worked with since 1987.