Ricky Gervais has said that he is “shocked and appalled” by allegations of historic sexual assault against After Life producer Charlie Hanson.
On Saturday (29 May), a report in The Times detailed how 11 women had written to Bafta and Netflix with accusations of serious sexual assault against Hanson from 2008 to 2015.
The women, who remained anonymous, accused the 68-year-old of using his “reputation” to make unsolicited sexual advances, leaving them fearful of professional repercussions should they rebuff or report him.
One accuser claimed that Hanson had initially “acted as a mentor” before sexually assaulting her at her home in 2015 at a time when she was too inebriated to consent.
Hanson has been suspended from Bafta and removed from Netflix series After Life, with the show’s star, director and writer Gervais sharing a statement on Saturday (29 May) night.
“I am shocked and appalled to learn of the historical allegations made by a number of women against Charlie Hanson,” The Office actor told Channel 4 News.
“The decision was made to immediately remove him from production and I am confident the matter is being handled thoroughly.”
Gervais has also worked with Hanson on TV series Extras, Derek and Life’s Too Short, as well as the 2010 film Cemetery Junction.
A statement from Netflix about Hanson said that while the allegations were “unrelated” to his work on After Life, “we immediately removed him from the production and referred the matter to the police”.
Hanson has denied all allegations, telling The Times that he would cooperate with any formal investigation into these “historical and false allegations” because “I know that’s not what I’m like”.
