Christina Hendricks says 'Mad Men' creator was 'in no way toxic' to her on set despite accusations (original) (raw)
Matthew Weiner was accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by a former assistant and writer.
Published on June 3, 2021 09:56AM EDT
Mad Men star Christina Hendricks has revealed details about her working relationship with the classic AMC series' controversial creator after a former assistant accused him of sexual harassment.
"My relationship with Matt was in no way toxic," Hendricks told The Guardian when asked to address former show staffer Kate Gordon's accusation that Mad Men's Matthew Weiner harassed her during the show's production cycle.
"I don't discount anyone's experience if I wasn't there to see it, but that wasn't my experience," Hendricks continued. "Was he a perfectionist, was he tough, did he expect a lot? Yes. And he would say that in a second. We were hard on each other."
In 2017, Gordon said that Weiner requested to let him see her naked, an experience she said, at the time, left her feeling "shame" and "regret," which show producer Marti Noxon eventually echoed. Weiner addressed Gordon's comments, saying that the accusations were "not true" but that the conversation surrounding workplace harassment was an important one he purposely weaved into Mad Men's narrative.
Christina Hendricks addressed accusations against Matthew Weiner on the set of 'Mad Men.'. Frank Ockenfels/AMC
Mad Men, which starred Jon Hamm as an ad agency executive in 1960s Manhattan, earned universal critical acclaim throughout its 2007-2015 run. But, Hendricks told the publication she grew frustrated by the media's intense focus on her physicality.
"There certainly was a time when we were very critically acclaimed, and getting a lot of attention for our very good work and our very hard work, and everyone just wanted to ask me about my bra again," she said. "There are only two sentences to say about a bra."
Read Hendricks' full interview on The Guardian's website.
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