NCIS' Michael Weatherly & Eliza Dushku Feud That Led to Her Getting Fired From 'Bull'
On-screen feuds make for great entertainment, but behind the scenes, they can be career crushers.
Summary
- The courtroom-centric series had some legal problems of its own.
- The two stars of the show had a bitter falling out.
- Dushku's time on Bull was abruptly cut short and she has not acted since.
Centered on Michael Weatherly's character, trial consultant Dr. Jason Bull, the series debuted in September 2016 and quickly gained popularity. The legal drama follows Bull's jury consulting firm, which uses science and psychology to select and win over jurors for its clients in court.
Weatherly, the charismatic former NCIS star, is undoubtedly the show's biggest draw, but his co-star and onscreen love interest, Eliza Dushku, was far from charmed by him.
Dushku was approached to play the role of a strong, leading woman and to make a 6-year commitment to the series as a recurring character. However, her character, J.P. Nunnelly, only appeared in 3 episodes before being written out of the show.
Her accusations cost her her role on Bull
Nunnelly was meant to be an on-screen counterbalance to Jason Bull, but behind the scenes, the dynamic between the two crumbled almost immediately, with Dushku the victim of brazen sexual harassment.
“In my first week on my new job I found myself the brunt of crude, sexualized and lewd verbal assaults. I suffered near constant sexual harassment from my co-star.”
According to the actress, Weatherly called her "Legs" and made comments about rape and threesomes; he spanked her and smelled her. These were just a few of the inappropriate behaviors by the star of Bull, many of which occurred in front of the show's cast and crew.
In an effort to resolve the situation, Dushku spoke to Weatherly and asked him to tone down his comments and express her discomfort, but this turned out to be a big mistake.
Weatherly's response to Dushku's request was to text the head of CBS Studios directly, and Dushku was fired from the show almost immediately.
A twist in the case
Bull went on without Dushku, but behind the scenes, the actress remained in an ongoing battle with CBS and Bull's staff. It was largely a case of he-said-she-said until outtakes from the show were released to investigators.
The evidence they found was incontrovertible, with Weatherly's harassment captured on film. In 2018, Dushku walked away with a $9.5 million settlement, an approximation of what she would have earned had she continued on Bull for four seasons. Part of her settlement with the network was that she could no longer speak publicly about the ordeal.
Weatherly, on the other hand, seemed shocked by the situation;
“When Eliza told me that she wasn’t comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized.”
Despite a long list of titles leading up to her role on Bull, Dushku has not appeared in any films or series since her brief stint as Nunnelly. She is, however, credited as a producer on the 2018 film Mapplethorpe.
A change in direction
Many speculate that Bull was the reason the actress left Hollywood, but she insists that is not the case. Dushku, now 43, moved back to Boston to continue her studies. She married Peter Palandjian in August 2018, and the couple welcomed their second child together in August 2021.
“I haven’t quit Hollywood, but this is just another aspect of my life that is really, really important and exciting to me.”
Dushku and Palandjian are heavily involved in support programs related to the addiction crisis, and the actress currently has her sights set on improving society.