F. Murray Abraham is addressing the sexual misconduct allegations that led to his “Mythic Quest” firing last year.
“This is a sincere and deeply felt apology,” the “White Lotus” Season 2 star said in a statement shared with IndieWire. “Though never my intention to offend anyone, I told jokes, nothing more, that upset some of my colleagues and as a result lost a great job with wonderful people. I have grown in my understanding from this experience, and I hope they will forgive me.”
Rolling Stone recently published a report claiming that Abraham was at the center of two complaints during the Apple TV+ series “Mythic Quest.” Per the outlet, the first incident led to Abraham being given a warning and told to keep away from some of the show’s actresses, according to a production source. A second incident was allegedly brought to series creator and star Rob McElhenney, who reportedly decided to have Abraham exit the critically acclaimed show ahead of its third season.
At the time, Abraham’s departure was addressed by McElhenney to Variety, saying, “It’s a bummer to not have Murray in this season. But we recognize that [his character] C.W. is a beloved character and obviously a huge part of the show. So, we made sure that we have a really fitting tribute to him. We definitely address it in a big way.”
At the time, Abraham’s “White Lotus” schedule was the reason given for his departure.
Lionsgate issued a statement regarding the alleged misconduct once the allegations against Abraham were made public.
“We take allegations of misconduct seriously and investigate them thoroughly,” a spokesperson told IndieWire. “As a matter of corporate policy, we do not discuss our personnel actions.”
Back in April 2022, Lionsgate confirmed that Abraham would not be returning for Season 3, telling Deadline, “Beyond that, we do not comment on matters concerning personnel.”
In addition to “Mythic Quest,” Abraham has starred in “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “The Good Wife,” and “Homeland.” The 83-year-old Oscar winner made his onscreen debut in 1971 and was cast as a leering grandfather in Mike White’s satirical Season 2 of “The White Lotus.”
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