Lena Waithe Responds To Jason Mitchell Allegations

"The Chi" creator Lena Waithe says she regrets the way she handled the sexual misconduct allegations against Jason Mitchell. T.H.R. reports that multiple women on the set of Showtime’s Chicago-set drama allegedly had issues with Mitchell; a source said that Tiffany Boone, who played his girlfriend on the series, reportedly felt so unsafe around him that she often asked her fiancé, Dear White People’s Marque Richardson, to accompany her when she needed to film scenes with Mitchell. In an interview with "The Breakfast Club" Lena clarified how much she actually knew about Mitchell's alleged misconduct. "Season 1 of The Chi, that was shot maybe three years ago, before people really knew who I was," Waithe began. "I was one of those powerless women of color in this industry...I didn't have a whole ton of power or a lot of say. And now, I have a really strong relationship with the studio and the network, but it was just kind of how things go. For your first thing, you are almost an employee on your own thing." "I wasn't made aware of anything going on with Tiffany until after the season had wrapped," she continued. "When Tiffany and I had a conversation, and out of respect for her privacy I will keep that conversation private, but we did discuss that this stuff wasn't appropriate. And I remember looking at her -- because we were Facetiming -- and I was like, 'Yo, this is not cool. I feel awful that you had an experience on my set that was not pleasant.' And by that point, when the season had wrapped, I had a little bit more power and I had a little more clout, and I was like, here's what I'm going to do to change that. I'm going to hire a woman of color as a showrunner." Jason Mitchell was let go from "The Chi" and dropped by his agent and management following allegations of unspecified misconduct. Mitchell was acclaimed for his work in the series, as well as in films including "Straight Outta Compton."