LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sam Wineman, the producer of Shudder's 'Queer for Fear' series, has filed a lawsuit against the streaming service, AMC Networks, and executive producer Bryan Fuller for alleged sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and retaliation.
According to his IMDb profile, Wineman is most known for helming 'The Quiet Room' - the horror documentary from Shudder.
His work has received honors from Midsummer Scream, Horrible Imaginings, FilmOut San Diego, NOLA Horror Film Fest, FilmQuest, and Nevermore.
Wineman received his MFA from the Dodge College of Film & Media Arts at Chapman University, where his dissertation movie was chosen for the Leo Freedman Foundation's First Cut, an exhibition of the greatest work of the year.
Sam Wineman accuses Bryan Fuller of sexual harassment
In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, October 4, producer and showrunner Fuller, known for 'Hannibal' and 'American Gods,' was charged with sexually harassing producer Wineman while working on the AMC documentary about gay horror.
Fuller is accused of casually bullying coworkers, making frequent comments to masturbate, and fostering a toxic work atmosphere, as reported by Variety.
Wineman and Fuller are both gay. They collaborated on the four-part docuseries 'Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror,' which was made and streamed on AMC's Shudder service in 2022.
In a lawsuit he filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, series producer Wineman claimed that the creators of the Shudder original were aware of Fuller's "acts of and propensity to commit acts of discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and retaliation" but "failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action."
Wineman created the docuseries 'Queer for Fear,' which explores the connection between LGBT audiences and the horror genre.
He claimed that Fuller, who executive produced the program and allegedly decreased Wineman's credits "as a final act of retaliation," unexpectedly terminated his employment.
A spokesman for AMC stated that the company is investigating the issue. Requests for comment were not immediately answered by Fuller, Shudder, or Steakhaus Productions.
What were the charges Sam Wineman brought against Bryan Fuller?
According to the lawsuit, Wineman was allegedly sexually attacked "several times" by Fuller in 2021 when the series was being produced.
The lawsuit alleged that Fuller "pressed his penis against plaintiff’s buttocks" and held it there while pretending to break Wineman's back so "plaintiff could feel it through the fabric" of his jeans.
A further charge made by Wineman is that Fuller's "preoccupation with masturbation permeated everything," per Hollywood Reporter.
According to the complaint, Fuller "frequently brought up his penis," whether it was "reading material that gave him erections," actors that he "masturbated so much to," or "adult/child power dynamics in stories that he was ‘wanking it to.'"
The lawsuit also accuses Fuller of leaving lubricant and balled-up tissues on his desk so that Wineman would be aware that he had been masturbating.
Additionally, Fuller is accused of making derogatory remarks about Wineman, calling him "weak," "drier than NPR," and lacking charisma.
Sam Wineman accuses Bryan Fuller of alleged hostile work environment
The lawsuit further claimed that the hostile work environment included "relentless verbal harassment and casual bullying."
Wineman claimed that Fuller frequently beat him until he sobbed and then reacted against him by ruining pictures, jeering interview subjects, and avoiding him for weeks on end.
Additionally, according to the complaint, Fuller "made discriminatory comments targeting groups that crew and interviewees belonged to, plaintiff included, frequently proclaiming his hatred of all gay men."
The charges are "fictitious" and "absolute garbage," Fuller's attorney Bryan Freedman told Deadline, adding that Wineman was fired for "gross incompetence."
"Sam Wineman just made the biggest mistake of his life and once the evidence comes out, he will forever be known as a pathological liar," Freedman said to Deadline.
