Jan 8
'Search Party' Showrunner Accused of Drugging and Sexually Assaulting a Production Assistant
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
"A production assistant who worked on the Max original series 'Search Party' has accused showrunner Charles Rogers of drugging and sexually assaulting him in 2020," reports The Wrap.
While the network conducted an investigation and exonerated Rogers, accuser Evan Schwartz said he was "gaslit" into "exonerating" the writer-producer in social media posts shared on Saturday.
"This is a selfie Charles Rogers took on my phone the morning after sexually assaulting me in 2020. I was his driver on the shoot for Search Party. After he took this selfie he joked, 'I have a lawyer in case someone me too's me'. I don't remember falling asleep that night."
This is the second time Schwartz has made these charges. In his posts this weekend, he recalled how the incident took place. "Charles was the writer/director of the show - I was his driver, he was my boss. He indeed handed me a drink right before we left the party, which I drank half of. He told the investigator, 'I wouldn't know how to drug somebody.'"
He continued: "My red eyes and drool running down my chin in that photo should say everything you need to know. The psychological damage this has caused me is beyond words."
He explained in a subsequent tweet: "A year later I suffered severe psychosis and delusions. HBO's HR investigator gaslit me into exonerating Charles. Because of the psychotic episode, I believed I made this all up, and I even sent him an email telling him he did nothing wrong."
In a statement to The Wrap on Monday, an individual close to the production said: "Evan recanted his statement in writing after making the claim. Prior to that, an investigation was conducted and the investigators were unable to corroborate any of the allegations."
"Search Party" was first seen on TBS, where it ran for two seasons before moving to Max, where it ran for an additional three. It starred Alia Shawkat and was cocreated by Rogers, Michael Showalter and Sarah-Violet Bliss.
Rogers' other credits include writing for Netflix's "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" and "Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later." He made his directorial debut in 2014 with the indie comedy "Fort Tilden," which he co-helmed with Bliss.
