LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hilarie Burton feels speaking out the truth of ‘One Tree Hill’ alleged abuse set her free. The actress during the premiere of ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ at the Tribeca Festival said, “It is an age-old lesson, that honesty is always better, it sets you free. I think when you’re young, you’re led to believe that keeping quiet about things is how you protect people you care about.”
Burton, who played the character of Peyton Sawyer for six seasons in the teen drama, added “And what I’ve learned is that speaking up is way better.” It was in 2017 when the ‘Summer Villa’ star along with 17 other women accused Mark Schwahn, the show creator of sexual harassment during the shooting of the show. It aired on the WB from 2003 to 2006 and then on the CW from 2006 to 2012. The accusers included Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz who claimed in a letter that the TV exec’s behavior forced some of the women to seek treatment for PTSD, reports PageSix.
'The supervisors in the room were not the protectors'
“Many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally. More than one of us is still in treatment for post-traumatic stress, read the letter. “Many of us were put in uncomfortable positions and had to swiftly learn to fight back, sometimes physically, because it was made clear to us that the supervisors in the room were not the protectors they were supposed to be.” The accused Schwahn never acknowledged the allegations, but the companies running the show, E!, Universal Cable Productions and Lionsgate Television released a statement, in which they claimed they were “monitoring the information carefully.” Schwahn was later kicked out from the show with Lionsgate TV announcement, “We have concluded our investigation and Mark will not be returning to ‘The Royals.'”
'It makes me feel like a boss'
Burton was present to support her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan who stars in ‘The Walking Dead’ spinoff which is set in Manhattan. The mother of two sports silver hair and feels powerful in that look. “It makes me feel like a boss. I’m not a kid anymore, it feels nice. Men are allowed to age and men are allowed to be silver foxes so there is a power in a woman doing the same thing. But when it comes to parenting, Burton says, “We’re just mom and dad. Sweaty PTA parents!”
