The Terrifying Truth Revealed: One Tree Hill Star's Chilling Encounter on Set

Summary

Hilarie Burton recalls a creepy moment on set with One Tree Hill showrunner Mark Schwahn when he wrote himself into the show as a minor character.

Burton expresses her unease about a particular scene where Schwahn's character embraces her even though they were not engaged in conversation.

To safeguard herself, Burton invited her father to the set, who effectively conveyed his message to Schwahn by cracking bullwhips in the parking lot.

One Tree Hill actress Hilarie Burton recounts an unsettling encounter with the show's creator. Burton, known for her role as Peyton Sawyer in the popular teenage drama, reflects on a moment that left her feeling uncomfortable. The show aired for nine seasons, with a total of 187 episodes from 2003 to 2012, starting on The WB and continuing on The CW. Recent attention has been drawn to the series due to allegations of sexual harassment and assault against the creator, showrunner, and executive producer, Mark Schwahn.

During a recent episode of the rewatch podcast Drama Queens, hosted by Burton and her One Tree Hill co-stars Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz, the actress shares her anxiety about filming the episode "Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace" in season 5. In this particular episode, Schwahn, whom Burton refers to as Voldermort, inserts himself into a scene where his minor character, Max, embraces Peyton. It is important to note that Burton and Schwahn were not on speaking terms at the time. Burton describes the experience as "so creepy," as she recounts the details. (Source: Entertainment Weekly)

I did not have any real-life conversation with him, but he inserted himself into the episode where I hugged him. It was extremely unsettling. When I received the script, I thought to myself, "Alright, it's just one day of work." My boyfriend's dad, who was directing, and my brother were also on set. Despite having all these male individuals around, it still didn't feel quite enough. So, I decided to invite my dad to join me that day. He sat behind the monitor throughout the day, ensuring that no one could approach or distract me. My dad's presence made it clear that no one could cross any boundaries or engage me in private conversations while I was simply enjoying some light-hearted banter with my father.

Meanwhile, Voldemort went to his office in the production building, which overlooked the parking lot. While there, my dad and Michael Rayle, a former animal trainer and whip enthusiast who worked as a sound mixer, went out to the parking lot and started performing various whip tricks, creating loud cracking sounds. It was a clear message, signaling "Don't interfere." It turned out to be a very uncomfortable day at work.

One Tree Hill's Cast & Crew Have Detailed Their Allegations Against Schwahn

Burton has discussed her past experience of being harassed by Schwahn, stating that her co-star Chad Michael Murray protected her from the creator of the show One Tree Hill. The allegations against Schwahn began in November 2017 when television writer Audrey Wauchope revealed that she and her writing partner had been sexually harassed by Schwahn while working on the show. Following this, the cast and crew of One Tree Hill wrote a letter detailing the inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment they had experienced from Schwahn on set. Burton, Lenz, and Bush were among the 18 women who came forward, sharing their experiences and accusing Schwahn of emotional and psychological manipulation. The letter also mentioned instances where the women had physically fought back against Schwahn. In response, the male cast members of One Tree Hill released their own statements, offering support to their female co-stars and crew members.

Following the suspension, Schwahn was ultimately dismissed from The Royals after 25 actors and crew members of the show came forward to share their own accounts of being sexually harassed by him. Since the news of his misconduct on One Tree Hill and The Royals became public, Schwahn has not worked on any productions and has yet to address the allegations made against him.