The creator of hit drama The Affair has lashed out at claims that she pressured actress Ruth Wilson into doing nude scenes.
Ruth, who starred in the show alongside Dominic West, had fans scratching their heads when she made the shock announcement last summer that she'd be quitting her role on the show - one that had won her critical acclaim and a Golden Globe.
Ruth didn't specify the reason for her departure, but a recent article published by The Hollywood Reporter included claims from other sources that Ruth felt driven to call it quits on her time on the show because of "the frequency and nature of certain nude scenes."
It also alleged that creator and showrunner Sarah Treem was a primary culprit, as she "in particular pressured her to perform such scenes."
Ruth has been asked numerous times to confirm her reason for departure, telling The New York Times : "It isn't about pay parity, and it wasn't about other jobs, [but] I'm not really allowed to talk about it."
She pointed the journalist toward Treem, adding: "There is a much bigger story."
While Ruth is under a non-disclosure agreement, the article reports claims made by sources about the filming environment and it's "culture problem."
The article reads: "Sources, many of whom declined to speak on the record, say Wilson was often asked to be unclothed in scenes where there seemed to be no clear creative rationale for the nudity other than for it to be 'titillating', as one person involved in the production puts it.
"Another source overheard Wilson ask on set, referring to a male co-star, 'Why do you need to see me and not more of him?'
"Wilson had, of course, signed a nudity waiver when she tested for the pilot, but a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson notes that performers must still 'provide meaningful consent and be treated with respect and dignity during production.'
"Sources say Wilson expressed her concerns repeatedly only to receive push-back and be labelled 'difficult.'"
The article goes on to describe a number of different claims, including one that reported a "culture problem at the show."
"There was a culture problem at the show from the very beginning and a tone-deafness from Sarah Treem about recognising he position she was putting actors in.
"Over and over again , I witnessed Sarah Treem try to cajole actors to get naked even if they were uncomfortable or not contractually obligated to."
Treem spoke to THR to give her side - claiming she did "everything I could think of to make [Ruth] feel comfortable with these scenes."
"I would never say those things to an actor," she said, "That's not who I am.
"I am not a manipulative person. And I've always been a feminist."
She continued: "I have devoted my entire professional career to writing about and speaking to women's issues, women's causes, women's empowerment and creating strong, complex roles for women in theater and in Hollywood, on- and off-screen.
"It's what I think about, what I care about, it's what drives my life and work.
"The reason I even created The Affair was to illuminate how the female experience of moving through the world is so different from the male one.
"The idea that I would ever cultivate an unsafe environment or harass a woman on one of my shows is utterly ridiculous and lacks a grounding in reality."
THR's article also says that in 2017, Ruth actually complained to Showtime, the network that The Affair's broadcast on.
A spokesperson for the network said: "When confronted with a report of inappropriate behaviour involving anyone within our offices or productions, we immediately initiate a process overseen by our compliance team in the case of our own shows, or in the case of series we license from others, we collaborate closely with the relevant production studio.
"In the instances THR was referencing, appropriate and decisive action was taken."
Ruth has been asked numerous times to confirm her reason for departure, telling The New York Times : "It isn't about pay parity, and it wasn't about other jobs, [but] I'm not really allowed to talk about it."
She pointed the journalist toward Treem, adding: "There is a much bigger story."
Mirror Online has contacted representatives of Ruth for comment.
