Netflix has fired the executive who told an alleged victim of sexual assault that the company did not believe the four women who have accused Danny Masterson, co-star of the Netflix original series The Ranch, of rape.
Masterson has also been fired from the show, the day after the Huffington Post reported on the conversation between an executive and a woman who the executive did not know was one of Masterson’s accusers.
According to the report, the woman, known only as Victim B, approached approached Andy Yeatman, Netflix’s director of global kids content, at a soccer game two weekends go in Los Angeles, while each of their children played. The woman’s husband had reportedly told her that Yeatman was a Netflix executive, and she reportedly asked Yeatman why Netflix hadn’t taken any action against Masterson, who is currently under investigation for the allegations, but has not been charged with any crime.
Yeatman replied, “We don’t believe them,” just before the woman admitted she was one of the accusers.
Last week, Netflix confirmed in a statement to the Huffington Post that Yeatman did in fact say that but insisted his claim did not reflect the company’s view of the situation.
As of Tuesday, Yeatmen no longer works for Netflix.
The streaming service confirmed his departure in a statement obtained by the Hollywood Reporter.
“Mr. Yeatman is no longer employed at Netflix,” a Netflix spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.
Yeatman did not respond to the Hollywood Reporter’s request for comment.
Four women have accused Masterson, a longtime Scientologist, of drugging and raping them in the early 2000s, and one of his alleged victims, formerly a Scientologist, has accused the church of covering up the alleged sexual assaults and intimidating witnesses.
Masterson was critical of Netflix’s decision to fire him from the series, and insists he is not guilty of rape.
“I am obviously very disappointed in Netflix’s decision to write my character off of The Ranch,” Masterson said in a statement following his firing.
“From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit. I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one.”
[Feature image: Associated Press]