Carly Hughes has exited the ABC-TV comedy series “American Housewife” due to what she has alleged is a toxic environment and discrimination on the set.
In a statement to Deadline, Hughes said, “I was no longer able to work in the toxic environment that was created on American Housewife. I made the decision to leave to protect myself from that type of discrimination. As a black woman in entertainment, I feel the responsibility to stand up for what I deserve, what we all deserve — to be treated equally. I wish the show well, and I am excited for a new chapter and to be able to pursue the opportunities ahead.”
Hughes was a regular on the series up until just after the season-five premiere, which was mostly filmed prior to the production shutdown in March as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Her name no longer appears in the opening credits, starting with the second episode.
“Carly was a valued member of the cast, and we had hoped she would return to the show this season,” said a spokesperson for “American Housewife.” “The concerns she raised led to positive changes to the workplace and improvements to the culture, but we respect the decision she made to move on. We wish her nothing but the best.”
According to Deadline, as a result of the allegations made by Hughes, ABC Signature undertook an HR investigation where it also examined accusations from production team members on the show. As a result, “American Housewife” creator Sarah Dunn is no longer involved with the show, line producer Mark J. Greenberg resigned and showrunners Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz have been assigned to sensitivity training.
Hughes is an accomplished Broadway actress, where she has starred in eight shows. She played the role of Angela on “American Housewife,” and last year she told Sheen Magazine how proud she was of the role.
“I play an amazing character who is a great example of society today,” Hughes said. She is a lawyer in Connecticut who happens to be a black woman, who happens to be a lesbian on the show. She has two kids and is going through a divorce so she hits all the angles while still being a real human being.”
In Paste, she had mentioned hoping that more “layers” of the character would be shown, and that she would be able to “branch out” more.
Concerning her experiences on the set, Hughes told Sheen that she and her co-stars got along very well.
“It’s been a blast from day one of the pilot! We laugh at each other all the time so that friendship easily carries over on screen because we don’t have to fake anything! There are even times when they’re like ‘Okay guys, stop laughing. You actually have to say the lines now.’ We genuinely like each other and we find each other hilarious.”
Hughes will next play in the leading role of the Lifetime movie “The Christmas Edition,” which will debut Nov. 15.
