Sexual assault scandals have become a frequent trend in Hollywood in the past few months, and The CW is no exception. The network fired the showrunner for The Flash Andrew Kreisberg following an investigation, and now President of The CW Mark Pedowitz confirmed one iZombie actor isn't returning for Season 5 following allegations of sexual misconduct that have been lodged against him. Pedowitz confirmed Robert Knepper, who plays Angus McDonough on the series, will conclude his run on the show following Season 4.
Robert Knepper may be out of Season 5, but when iZombie returns for Season 4 on Monday, February 26, he will still be on the program as a series regular. Mark Pedowitz explained that while complaints were lodged against Knepper in December of last year while the series was in production, two internal investigations done by the studio in regards to his behavior on the set of iZombie revealed no wrongdoing. Pedowitz added to media at the TCA press tour (via Slashfilm) that Knepper is still shooting scenes for the upcoming season of iZombie, but should complete his scenes for the series sometime next week.
Robert Knepper's removal from iZombie in Season 5 shouldn't have a massive impact on the future of the series, as Mark Pedowitz stated Knepper's contract was only for the year. Additionally, Pedowitz ensures Knepper's character, Angus McDonough, had his path for Season 4 plotted out long before the scandal made headlines, so the news in no way influenced the character's role on the show. Pedowitz indicated his hands are tied when it comes to allegations about actors that happen away from the set of shows produced on The CW, but made it clear that he and the network support people continuing to come forward to make claims against others if they have any and promised their safety for doing so:
That's why, when people feel safe enough to raise a complaint, the complaints get investigated. If the investigation shows a pattern of behavior of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment, then it should be addressed and the individual should be held accountable.
Robert Knepper continues to deny the claims that he sexually assaulted five women, all of whom tell different but similar stories about the actor. Knepper has been accused of sexual assault with an emphasis on physicality, with the claims against him ranging from as early as 1983 to as late as 2013. While Knepper was permitted to finish out Season 4 of iZombie, it remains to be seen if the actor will be attached to Season 6 of Prison Break, which was announced not long after the accusations lodged against Knepper made headlines.
iZombie returns to The CW for Season 4 Monday, February 26 at 9:00 p.m. ET. For information regarding other shows that are set to premiere or return sometime in 2018, be sure to head over to our midseason premiere guide. For more on iZombie, read what showrunner Rob Thomas had to say about the Season 3 reveal, and how Season 4's story was a direction the series has been heading since its beginning.
