Hilarie Burton is a talented and widely recognized actress. The actress is renowned for her roles in super-hit movies like Council of Dads (2020) and even successful TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy (2013).
Recently, the One Tree Hill actress bravely broke her silence on the on-set abuse she experienced during the show’s production, sharing her harrowing experience of it in both public and behind the scenes.
Hilarie Burton Was Harassed by Ben Affleck in Public
Known for her outspoken and extroverted personality, Hilarie Burton recently broke her silence and spoke about the time when she was harassed in public by Ben Affleck. This goes back to the year 2003 when the One Tree Hill actress was merely 21 years old.
In the video of the same, Affleck can be seen ‘groping’ Burton during their appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live. As the video went viral much later in 2017, the actress tweeted responding she ‘hadn’t forgotten’ about that, all the while adding that she was ‘a kid’ back then. The Batman actor, in response, apologized later for his improper behavior, tweeting,
“I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize.”
However, that wasn’t the only time that the actress had faced sexual abuse. According to reports, Hilarie Burton, along with 17 other women, accused the show One Tree Hill’s creator, Mark Schwahn of victimization as well, in the year 2017. In the letter written by them, the women claimed that thanks to the TV executor, some of them even had to seek treatment for PTSD. A part of the letter read,
“Many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally. More than one of us is still in treatment for post-traumatic stress. Many of us were put in uncomfortable positions and had to swiftly learn to fight back, sometimes physically, because it was made clear to us that the supervisors in the room were not the protectors they were supposed to be.”
While Schwahn himself never addressed these accusations, he was eventually dismissed from his then-project The Royals TV series by the companies behind the show’s production.
Hilarie Burton Felt ‘Free’ After Speaking Out on the Abuse She Faced
As the actress spoke out about the numerous times that she faced sexual harassment on-set, off-set, as well as in public, Burton said she felt ‘free’. During the premiere of The Walking Dead: Dead City TV series, the actress openly told Page Six,
“It is an age-old lesson, that honesty is always better, it sets you free… I think when you’re young, you’re led to believe that keeping quiet about things is how you protect people you care about, and what I’ve learned is that speaking up is way better.”
Well, speaking up about it is certainly way better, judging how the actress felt at liberty after speaking up about the abuse she faced herself.
Hilarie Burton has played the role of Peyton Sawyer in the teen drama series One Tree Hill for six whole seasons, for which she is widely loved and celebrated. Other actors also include Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, and Sophia Bush starring in prominent roles in the TV series.
You can stream the series One Tree Hill on Prime Video.
Source: Page Six
