Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner accused of sexual harassment by Emmy award-winning co-writer

Matthew Weiner - the creator of Mad Men - has been accused of sexually harassing co-writer Kater Gordon.

Gordon, who won an Emmy for her work on the series which ended in 2015, alleges that the showrunner told her that she owed it to him to let him see her naked while working together one night. She was let go from the AMC drama a year later.

She claims that she hasn't worked in the industry since as a consequence of Weiner's alleged remark which she said she initially “brushed off.”

“I had the Emmy, but instead of being able to use that as a launch pad for the rest of my career, it became an anchor because I felt I had to answer to speculative stories in the press,” Gordon told The Information. “I eventually walked away instead of fighting back.”

A representative for the showrunner said: “Mr. Weiner spent eight to ten hours a day writing dialogue aloud with Miss Gordon, who started on Mad Men as his writers assistant. He does not remember saying this comment nor does it reflect a comment he would say to any colleague.

“During the nine years he was showrunner on Mad Men, Mr. Weiner had a predominantly female driven writers room, a claim which he refutes. He has long believed in and implemented an egalitarian working environment including the highest levels of production and writing based on mutual respect for all.”

Gordon began her working career with Weiner as his personal assistant in 2007 and was promoted to writers' assistant of Mad Men just one year later. According to The Information, sources claimed that Weiner went on to “ask her opinion” on season 2 storylines before offering her the opportunity to co-write the finale with him.

The alleged remark is said to have occurred when they revised each other's sections towards the end of the writing process in the production office. Gordon claims she didn't speak out as “it felt like a lose-lose situation.”

She said: “I thought, ‘I can’t do anything to jeopardise.’ I need this credit. I saw no value to speaking out. So I did what I thought women were supposed to do.”

Gordon was promoted to staff writer for the third season for which she wrote two episodes, however another of Mad Men's longtime writers alleged that they could see Gordon's “confidence was shaken.”

“I did my best to play along but couldn’t divorce him from the comment, and I lost respect,“ she said. ”I couldn’t in good conscious support him the way I did the previous year.”

After winning an Emmy with Weiner in September 2009, Gordon claims that her “elation” led to feeling “empty.” Weeks later, Weiner ended Gordon's contract reportedly telling her she was “terrible at everything, from [her] work in the writers room to on set.”

Gordon has since moved away from the world of television, instead forming Modern Alliance, a nonprofit organisation in aid of sexual harassment victims.

She stated she was inspired to speak out about her alleged experience in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal which has shone a light on a history of sexual misconduct in Hollywood with the careers of figures including Kevin Spacey, Brett Ratner and Louis C.K. seemingly left in tatters.