Netflix has fired Andy Yeatman, its director of global kids content, for telling one of several women who accused The Ranch star Danny Masterson of rape that the company did not believe them.
A Netflix spokeswoman confirmed to the Reporter that as of December 11, “Mr. Yeatman is no longer employed at Netflix” – joining Masterson, who the company dropped on December 5th.
Though at least four women have accused Masteron of rape, the Huffington Post reported that Yeatman told a woman at the sidelines of a children’s soccer game in Los Angeles that Netflix takes such accusations seriously but “we don’t believe them.” That woman then informed Yeatman that she was one of the victims and that “I hope no one ever says that to your daughter.” When she added that the accusations were true, Yeatman allegedly responded “we’ll see” in a condescending tone.
Netflix said in a statement to the Post that “Mr. Yeatman’s comments were careless, uninformed and do not represent the views of the company,” though it claimed that he did not play any role in the decisions on what to do about Masterson.
Masterson is the second high-profile Netflix star cut loose for allegations of sexual assault amid the rise of #MeToo, a survivor-driven movement to hold perpetrators of rape, harassment and other crimes accountable. The streaming platform cut ties with Kevin Spacey, who played the lead character in the network’s wildly popular political thriller House of Cards, in November.
As the Reporter noted, Masterson has denied the accusations.