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Hannibal and American Gods creator Bryan Fuller has been accused of sexual harassment while working on the AMC docuseries Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror. Deadline first reported that a sexual-harassment lawsuit was filed on Wednesday with claims that Fuller had sexually assaulted plaintiff and Queer for Fear producer Sam Wineman “several times” during production in 2021. The suit accuses Fuller of repeatedly pressing his penis into Wineman’s buttocks under the guise of cracking his back. Fuller allegedly also made constant references to masturbation, engaged in “relentless verbal harassment and casual bullying,” and created a hostile workplace environment.
Queer for Fear, which was released on streaming service Shudder in 2022, relies on multiple interviews to explore the relationship between queer audiences and the horror genre. According to Wineman’s lengthy complaint, Fuller retaliated against Wineman by sabotaging shots, heckling interviewees, and ignoring him for weeks at a time. Wineman claims that he was ultimately fired around four weeks after reporting Fuller’s behavior, with his series credits reduced as a “final act of retaliation.” Wineman is also suing AMC, Shudder, and others involved in the series who allegedly ignored, facilitated, and permitted Fuller’s alleged misconduct.
A spokesperson for AMC told Deadline it was reviewing the lawsuit and did not have an immediate comment. Meanwhile, Fuller’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, strongly denied the allegations, claiming that there is “documented evidence” that disproves the claims. “Make no mistake, Sam Wineman will be sued for defamation based on what are 100 percent probably false statements,” Freedman told Deadline.