Elizabeth Hurley Addresses 'The Royals' Creator Mark Schwahn's Alleged Harassment of Female Co-Workers

Elizabeth Hurley is speaking out in a lengthy statement after the creator and showrunner of her E! series The Royals, Mark Schwahn, was accused of sexual harassment by 25 female cast and crew members of the show.

The actress says that she was unaware of the way Schwahn was treating her female co-stars and says that the news is a “shocking surprise.”

Elizabeth released the statement on her Twitter account on Thursday afternoon (November 16). Read below:

“I was immensely saddened to read Alexandra Park‘s statement about Mark Schwahn. I have loved working alongside Alexandra and Mark for four years while shooting The Royals, and had absolutely no idea that she was feeling frightened and sexually intimidated by Mark during this time. I have never thought of myself as unobservant, in fact quite the opposite, but I missed this and feel like I have let down a younger cast member. I could have helped her. I would have helped her. But I didn’t know,” the statement began.

Click inside to read the rest of the statement…

“I have never personally felt scared, intimidated, psychologically manipulated or been the recipient of inappropriate behavior in 30 years of making movies and television. This includes my years working closely with Mark Schwahn. Yes, he flirts and tells risque jokes- but so do I. To hear that there was more than this is a shocking surprise. I never witnessed it. The set of The Royals was a very happy one, full of laughter and fun. Mark was always in the centre of this and it seemed to me that the cast and crew had the most fun when Mark was directing an episode. I feel sick now to hear now that people were unhappy at that time and didn’t dare speak up.”

“It’s totally unacceptable for anyone to work in a place in which they feel unsafe. Measures must be put in place in every industry so that anyone who is experiencing intimidation can seek help. As for me, I didn’t see it but will support anyone who is being treated unfairly and do anything I can to ensure any workplace is a safe one. I may have failed Alexandra but it won’t happen again on my watch.”