‘One Tree Hill’ Stars James Lafferty, Lee Norris and More Support Co-Stars After Allegations Against Show's EP

James Lafferty and co-stars Bethany Joy Lenz and Sophia Bush
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Austin Nichols, Bryan Greenberg, Robert Buckley, Stephen Colletti and more spoke out on social media.

The women of One Tree Hill are not standing alone.

On Monday, the female cast and crew members of the beloved drama -- including Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz -- penned an open letter accusing showrunner Mark Schwahn of sexual misconduct.

Shortly after their letter was released, many of their male co-stars came forward on social media to lend their support.

The letter came after One Tree Hill writer Audrey Wauchope alleged that she was sexually harassed in a series of tweets over the weekend. Though Wauchope didn’t directly name Schwahn in her messages, her female co-workers did in their open letter.

“Many of us were, to varying degrees, manipulated psychologically and emotionally," the letter read after naming Schwahn directly. "More than one of us is still in treatment for post-traumatic stress. 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.”

The letter also claimed that Schwahn spoke to them in ways that were “deeply upsetting, to traumatizing, to downright illegal,” and alleged that they were put in positions that made them feel “physically unsafe.”

In response to the letter, several male actors from The CW series have come forward to give the actresses their backing.

James Lafferty, who played Nathan Scott for all nine seasons of the show, tweeted a lengthy message, saying: “I applaud every woman on OTH, every woman on earth, who stands up to a system that has failed them in the past and in this moment. I stand with them.”

Noting that many people involved with the show “embody the virtues of the story we were trying to tell,” he added that he hopes to add “change” to that list of virtues. 

Bush shared a message from Lee Nichols, who played Marvin ‘Mouth’ McFadden throughout the show’s nine-season run, thanking him for his words.

“Much love to our brother bear #LeeNorris, who has always been supportive. He’s one of the good ones too. #BurnItDownSis,” Bush wrote.

Norris noted that the ladies of OTH are “more than capable of speaking for themselves,” and added, “These are not my stories to tell, but I wanted to voice my complete support of them.” 

Antwon Tanner, another original cast member who played Antwon ‘Skills’ Taylor, tweeted: “To my sisters/all the women of OTH that have come forward and showed their bravery. I want u to know that I love u and I support u.”

Austin Nichols, who played Julian Baker, also tweeted: “I stand with all my OTH sisters. We have to change. We have to be better. All of us. This is unacceptable.”

Actor Robert Buckley, who played Clay Evans, wrote: “To the women of OTH that have come forward and bravely used their voices, I want you to know I believe you, I respect you and I support you.”

Bryan Greenberg, who played Jake Jaglieski, added: “Shocked and saddened to hear what the women of OTH had to endure. I’m proud of them for speaking up. I support them fully. And I hope that their courage to tell the truth, will help put an end to the pervasive culture of harassment in the work place. There’s no place for it.”

Former reality star Stephen Colletti, who appeared as Chase Adams on the show, tweeted: “I want to acknowledge the women of OTH who have penned their letter with deep wounds from a culture unacceptable for anyone, at any age, and in any business. I have the utmost respect of your position in righting the wrongs you have endured. I stand for you, for better.”

For more on sexual misconduct in Hollywood, watch the clip below: