MacGyver’s Lucas Till Says Former Showrunner’s Mistreatment Made Him ‘Suicidal’

Update 7/20/20: In a story in Vanity Fair, 30 people came forward to speak out against Peter Lenkov, the former showrunner of Magnum P.I. and MacGyver. MacGyver star Lucas Till was among them, and he claims he endured verbal abuse, bullying, and body-shaming from Lenkov that caused him to consider suicide.

“I’ve never worked this hard in my life, and I am fine with hard work,” said Till. “But the way Peter treats people is just unacceptable. I was suicidal that first year on the show, because of the way he made me feel. But the way he’s treated the people around me—that’s just my breaking point.”

One of Lenkov’s lawyers has denied these accusations, saying Lenkov “has championed [Till] from the very beginning and has been nothing but supportive of him.”

Read the full story at Vanity Fair.

Leadership changes are happening behind the scenes on some of your favorite CBS shows. TV Guide has confirmed that Magnum P.I. and MacGyver showrunner Peter Lenkov has been fired by CBS after multiple reports that he created a toxic work environment.

“Peter Lenkov is no longer the executive producer overseeing MacGyver and Magnum P.I., and the studio has ended its relationship with him,” a CBS TV Studios spokesperson said in a statement. Monica Macer will be the showrunner on MacGyver and Eric Guggenheim take over Magnum P.I. They are both currently executive producers on the respective series. “Our studio is committed to ensuring safe and respectful production environments. Over the past year, we have assigned human resource production partners to every show, expanded staff training, and increased reporting options,” the statement continued. “We will continue to evolve our practices with continued focus on building trust with all who work on our sets. Every complaint is taken seriously, every claim is investigated, and when evidence is clear that policies were violated and values not upheld, we take decisive action.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, there had been complaints that Lenkov allegedly treated women and people of color on his staff harshly, that he was “manipulative and abusive,” and that he frequently favored male writers and actors.

Lenkov gave his own statement to the trade publication, in which he acknowledged his behavior and promised to do better in the future. “Now is the time to listen and I am listening,” said Lenkov. “It’s difficult to hear that the working environment I ran was not the working environment my colleagues deserved, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I accept responsibility for what I am hearing and am committed to doing the work that is required to do better and be better.”

Magnum P.I. and MacGyver will both return for new seasons without Lenkov at the helm next year. 

Peter LenkovPhoto: NICK AGRO/AFP via Getty Images