#Lucas Till Says Fired MacGyver Showrunner Peter M. Lenkov’s Toxic Behavior Made Him Suicidal

When CBS fired MacGyver showrunner Peter M. Lenkov, there were a lot of unanswered questions.

Now, series star, Lucas Till, is opening up about the EP’s “unacceptable” behavior for the first time.

The actor chatted with Vanity Fair and detailed several instances of verbal abuse, bullying, and body-shaming while leading the cast of the successful CBS drama, which was under the rule of Lenkov.

“I’ve never worked this hard in my life, and I am fine with hard work,” Till told the outlet, expounding as follows:

“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.”

It sure sounds like a horrible environment to work.

The actor went on to speak about Lenkov not being pleased with his body while filming the series.

“There was always something about my appearance that wouldn’t please him, like when I was in a hospital gown…. [Lenkov] said my legs were ‘f–king hideous’ and we can never show them again,” the actor wrote in a note that was sent to CBS’ Human Resources department this year.

“Honestly, I found some humor in that comment as well, but you can imagine if that was a more sensitive spot that he had hit, and often did.”

“Just like the time he screamed at [a director] ’Oh, my f–king God! Tuck his shirt in, he looks like a little f–king boy’… I’ve struggled with maintaining ‘man weight’ on the show because of the stress, no time to work out, and an unpredictable schedule for proper nourishment.”

Lenkov, however, vehemently denies the allegations from Till.

A representative for the showrunner said that Till’s account of what happened is “100 percent false and untrue,” adding that the EP “has championed him from the very beginning and has been nothing but supportive of him.”

News of Lenkov’s firing dropped earlier this month and comes just ahead of the fifth season of the series.

“Peter Lenkov is no longer the executive producer overseeing MacGyver and Magnum P.I., and the studio has ended its relationship with him,” a rep said in a statement at the time.

“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.”

“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.”

“Now is the time to listen and I am listening,” Lenkov said when his firing was announced.

“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.”

Remember you can watch MacGyver online right here via TV Fanatic.

MacGyver is set to return for its fifth season later this year.

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.