Bull star Freddy Rodriguez, showrunner leaving after season 5
According to The Hollywood Reporter, both Rodriguez (who starred on the series as Benny Colon) and showrunner Caron are departing following separate workplace investigations. In the case of Caron, one was launched after multiple writers departed the series, and there are allegations that he fostered a stressful and difficult work environment. There is no information regarding the investigation surrounding Rodriguez. He was a series regular on the show from the very beginning, and has appeared in more than 100 installments. Neither he nor Caron have spoken out about their exits from the show as of this time.
This is not the first off-screen controversy related to Bull, as the show and star Michael Weatherly were under fire following the departure of Eliza Dushku. Reports surfaced surrounding her treatment on the set, one that led to a settlement and a public apology from Weatherly after the fact. CBS has continued to stick by the show, and the plan for it moving forward this fall is for it to air at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time. Kathryn Price and Nichole Millard are being named co-showrunners for the new season, and they will have a chance to shape it into whatever they see fit.
Because of the settlement and the controversy surrounding Weatherly, the primary question we find ourselves wondering now is simple: Why wasn’t there more scrutiny on Bull behind the scenes? Why did it take writers departing now for an investigation to be launched? It’s irresponsible to speculate about Rodriguez’s exit without further information, but Caron in particular is the creative face of the show. That is the engine that makes it go, and CBS has experienced problems with showrunners and work environments over the past few years. Just last year, similar allegations led to the dismissal of Magnum PI and MacGyver boss Peter Lenkov.
This news is still breaking, so we will have more information as it becomes available. For now, we welcome some more of your thoughts on the matter below. (Photo: CBS.)