Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future in Star Trek became legendary for advancing diversity and representation on television. As the creator of the original series and its Next Generation sequel, Roddenberry pioneered casting Black and Asian actors in prominent roles. He imagined a utopian society built on peace, equality, and exploration.
Yet behind this progressive image, Roddenberry’s personal behavior betrayed a troubling contradiction. The man who symbolized an enlightened future has now been exposed for his past chauvinistic misconduct. Although married, Roddenberry carried on affairs with Nichelle Nichols and Majel Barrett, two female stars of the original Star Trek. An assistant producer on the show declared he intentionally exploited women on set.
Star Trek’s visionary Gene Roddenberry accused of sexist behavior behind the scenes
According to Nicki Swift, actress Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura, said she and Gene Roddenberry had an affair even though he was a married man at the time. In her 1994 memoir, Nichelle Nichols claimed she had an affair with the married Roddenberry while starring as Lt. Uhura on his shows. Roddenberry was also romantically involved during this time with actress Majel Barrett, who later became his second wife.
Former assistant Andi Richardson recently branded Roddenberry “a sexist, manipulative person who disregarded women.” She says he inappropriately ogled actresses and flaunted his power as a showrunner.
While the alleged affairs were consensual, the misconduct accusations suggest Roddenberry exploited his position with subordinates. If true, this would deeply clash with Star Trek’s mission of progressivism and equality.
How did Gene Roddenberry mistreat women?
Roddenberry frequently had affairs during his marriages, including with Star Trek co-stars Nichelle Nichols and Majel Barrett. Coon’s assistant accused him of having “women walking from Bill Theiss’ fitting rooms through to his office in the skimpiest outfits so he could perv them.”
The power dynamics between Roddenberry and his female subordinates raise a lot of questions. Did he view women as conquests rather than equals? Were actresses compelled to oblige him or risk losing roles?
While we may never know his true feelings, Roddenberry wielded immense influence as Star Trek’s creator. It’s concerning whenever industry men exploit aspiring young performers. And while interoffice affairs occur frequently in Hollywood, his duplicity remains morally questionable.
Gene Roddenberry’s Early Years and Path to Television
Gene Roddenberry grew up reading tons of sci-fi stories and pulp magazines as a kid which sparked his imagination. He studied subjects like police science and aeronautical engineering in school. During WWII, Roddenberry flew bombing missions for the Army Air Forces. He was in a couple of plane crashes and even helped rescue people, showing his early heroism.
After the war, Roddenberry flew commercial planes but kept getting into accidents. He decided maybe cockpits weren’t for him anymore. Roddenberry moved to California and joined the LAPD in 1949, working in public relations and speechwriting. This led to him advising TV shows like Dragnet on police stuff. He started writing scripts on the side using a pen name.
By 1956, writing for shows like I Led Three Lives and Highway Patrol was paying more than police work. Roddenberry quit the force to be a full-time writer and chase his dream of making it in Hollywood television. The rest is sci-fi history!
