sexual harassment

Matthew Weiner Says He Was an ‘Angry’ Boss But Not a Sexual Harasser

Photo: Vivien Killilea/WireImage

Publicly responding to a sexual harassment claim brought forth by former Mad Men writer Katie Gordon last week, Matthew Weiner is denying that he acted inappropriately with her while she was employed by the show. Specifically: He might’ve been a tough boss, but he never sexually harassed anyone. Participating in a Q&A with Jenji Kohan at Chevalier’s Books on Friday evening, Weiner categorically denied that anything transpired between the two of them. “The allegations are not true,” he said, according to Variety. “It has been an obsession of mine, in my work and in my life, for like 92 hours of the show; we wanted people to be having this conversation. It’s great that we’re having it. It’s a very serious issue. It’s great that we’re having this conversation.”

When Kohan pressed the issue, asking why Gordon would lie about her alleged experience, Weiner admitted that his temperament as a boss likely contributed to her rationale. “I don’t want to speak to someone else’s character, but I will say this: I have hired dozens of women over the years and dozens of people. I am a demanding boss,” he said. “Especially in the early years, it was very hard to do it. I had a lot of stress and — you know this — it’s very lonely. When I think back on it, if I had to do it differently, letting people go and being mad about having to rewrite everything — I was just angry a lot of the time … the person I am now would definitely do it in a different way.” While Gordon hasn’t spoken again since her initial claim, former Mad Men producer Marti Noxon has supported Gordon with a statement of her own, in which she wrote that Weiner is an “emotional terrorist” who’s willing to “badger, seduce, and even tantrum” to get what he wants.

Matthew Weiner Says He’s ‘Angry’ But Not a Sexual Harasser