Yahoo Movies CBS cuts the Bull after six seasons
Bull will end its rocky run on CBS this May.
The courtroom drama, which launched in 2016 with former NCIS star Michael Weatherly in the title role, was an early success for the network. But its reputation became tarnished after ex-star Eliza Dushku alleged harassment by Weatherly in 2018. Three years later, showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron and costar Freddy Rodriguez were let go from the series after a workplace investigation.
In an announcement posted to Twitter on Tuesday, Weatherly said, "I've decided it's time to pursue new creative challenges and bring [Dr. Jason Bull's] story to a close." The series was inspired by Dr. Phil McGraw's early career as a trial specialist.
CBS said in a statement provided to EW, "For six seasons, Bull has established itself as a ratings winner with its fresh take on the judicial process never before seen on television. We extend our thanks to the talented cast, Michael Weatherly, Geneva Carr, Yara Martinez, Jaime Lee Kirchner, Christopher Jackson, MacKenzie Meehan, the incredible creative team led by Kathryn Price and Nichole Millard, and our hard-working crew, for bringing to life these innovative stories. We also thank our loyal viewers and look forward to providing them with a final run of compelling episodes filled with the humor, intelligence and twists that have made the drama a fan favorite."
Craig Blankenhorn/CBS Michael Weatherly on 'Bull'
In 2018, CBS announced that it would have trained HR professionals visit sets on a regular basis after Weatherly was accused of sexual harassment by Dushku. (Weatherly told the New York Times that he was "mortified to have offended" Dushku and that he apologized to her.) The actress wrote a 2,300-word account for the Boston Globe slamming Weatherly and Caron, saying Weatherly's behavior went beyond jokes (some of which were captured on tape by production).
"The tapes show his offer to take me to his 'rape van, filled with all sorts of lubricants and long phallic things,'" Dushku wrote. "There was also his constant name-calling, playing provocative songs (like 'Barracuda') on his iPhone when I approached my set marks, and his remark about having a threesome."
At the time, insiders said it was Caron who didn't like Dushku's character because he "wanted to write Bull, not Moonlighting." Dushku's character was written off, and she was paid $9.5 million — the amount she would have earned had she remained on the show as a potential love interest for Weatherly. (Caron told the New York Times that Dushku's exit was not "in any way punitive.") Several months later, Amblin Entertainment stepped down as a producer of the series.
and writing/producing team who helped reinvent the legal drama. Stay tuned for a big series finish…Thanks to all the fans from the bottom of my heart. You will always be a part of our Bull family! 2/2
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) January 18, 2022
Last May, CBS confirmed that Caron and Rodriguez would leave the show but did not reveal the results of the workplace investigation. Bull writers Kathryn Price and Nichole Millard became co-showrunners of the drama.
Rodriguez played Benny Colón, Bull's in-house counsel, while Caron had been the drama's showrunner since the second season.
Bull currently averages 7.4 million viewers and ranks No. 15 among the most-watch broadcast TV dramas.
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