Bethany Joy Lenz claims 'One Tree Hill' creator tried to 'humiliate' her through specific storylines

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bethany Joy Lenz, best known for her role as Haley James Scott on 'One Tree Hill', recently shared some shocking experiences related to the show that skyrocketed her career.

In her memoir 'Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show', which was released on Tuesday, October 22, the 43-year-old sheds light on challenges she faced on set and her personal journey outside of the spotlight.

Bethany Joy Lenz reveals 'One Tree Hill' creator targeted her with humiliating storylines

In her book, Bethany Joy Lenz opens up about her involvement with a Christian group, The Big House Family, which she refers to as a cult.

Reflecting on her time in this group, the actress reveals that working on 'One Tree Hill' was a lifeline for her.

"The show saved my life," writes Lenz in 'Dinner for Vampires'. However, her time on the series wasn’t without its difficulties, according to HuffPost.

Lenz detailed how the show's creator wrote storylines for her character that made her uncomfortable, which she believed were intentionally aimed at belittling her.

"The more my personal beliefs and preferences interfered with the creator’s demands, the more he started writing things into the storylines that I assume were an attempt to humiliate or antagonize me," notes Lenz, as per Entertainment Weekly.

One particular storyline stands out for Lenz, where her character was made to "overreact" to her high school boyfriend watching an explicit movie.

This plotline, featured in the 2004 episode 'The Leaving Song', struck a nerve for the actress, as she believed it degraded her character and sent the wrong message to her young female fans.

Determined to maintain some control over her character, Lenz decided to take matters into her own hands and rewrote some of her lines.

This move, however, caused confusion and frustration on set.

She recalled, "It caused confusion and aggravation for the director, the other actors, the script supervisor, and the producers. I felt awful. But I didn’t know what else to do." 

Past accusations against 'One Tree Hill' creator Mark Schwahn

Though Bethany Joy Lenz never directly names the show's creator, 'One Tree Hill' was developed by Mark Schwahn.

In 2017, 18 women tied to 'One Tree Hill', including Lenz, supported writer Audrey Wauchope when she accused Schwahn of emotional manipulation and sexual harassment. 

"Many of us were put in uncomfortable positions and had to swiftly learn to fight back, sometimes physically, because it was made clear to us that the supervisors in the room were not the protectors they were supposed to be," read an open letter from the women.

It added, "Many of us were spoken to in ways that ran the spectrum from deeply upsetting, to traumatizing, to downright illegal. And a few of us were put in positions where we felt physically unsafe."

Wauchope took to social media to describe the toxic environment, writing, "To say we were excited was an understatement. To say we left that job demoralized and confused is also an understatement. One of the 1st things we were told was that the showrunner hired female writers on the basis of their looks. That’s why you’re here ― he wants to f*** you."

Wauchope's claims sparked significant conversations about Schwahn’s behavior even though she didn't name him in her posts, as per Vanity Fair.

In a thread that delved into the alleged harassment, she further wrote, "He’s a man in a position of power who was allowed to run a television show for years where this behavior continuously went on."

Lenz's co-stars Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton also shared their experiences of objectification on the show.

In a 2022 episode of the 'Drama Queens' podcast, Bush and Burton revealed that the female actors were pressured into posing for a men's magazine to boost male viewership.

Burton reflected on how the producers were fixated on attracting male viewers, with Bush adding that the showrunners believed exploiting violent assaults on women attracted young male audiences.

Cast members of the E! scripted series 'The Royals' also made accusations of sexual harassment against Schwahn, who was ultimately fired from the show. He hasn't publicly addressed any of the allegations.