Yahoo Movies MacGyver star Lucas Till alleges fired showrunner's "unacceptable" behaviour left him at "breaking point"
Lucas Till has alleged that former MacGyver showrunner Peter Lenkov left him at "breaking point".
Earlier this month, CBS fired Lenkov following claims the producer created a toxic work environment on shows including MacGyver and Hawaii Five-0.
Now, MacGyver star Till – who plays the titular role in the CBS reboot of the classic series –has accused Lenkov of verbal abuse, bullying and body-shaming, which he says left him feeling "suicidal" during his first year on the show.
Lenkov has strongly denied the claims.
"I've never worked this hard in my life, and I am fine with hard work," Till told Vanity Fair.
"But the way Peter treats people is just unacceptable. I was suicidal that first year on the show, because of the way he made me feel.
"But the way he's treated the people around me – that's just my breaking point."
In an email that Till wrote to CBS's HR department, he also said: "There was always something about my appearance that wouldn't please him, like when I was in a hospital gown and our producer... thought it was funny that [Lenkov] said my legs were 'f**king hideous' and we can never show them again.
"Honestly, I found some humour in that comment as well, but you can imagine if that was a more sensitive spot that he had hit, and often did. Just like the time he screamed at [a director] 'Oh, my f**king God! Tuck his shirt in, he looks like a little f**cking boy.'
"Just hire a 35-year-old then."
In a statement provided by one of his lawyer's, Lenkov denied the allegations of abuse and body-shaming as "100 percent false and untrue".
He also said that Lenkov "has championed [Till] from the very beginning and has been nothing but supportive of him".
We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
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