Sophia Bush drafted the collective statement for 18 women accusing One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn of abuse at an unexpected personal cost
Believe women.
Sophia Bush is speaking out about her role in the 2017 effort to address the behavior of One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn. She recently appeared in an episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast to discuss this dark chapter of her career. According to PEOPLE, Bush was one of 18 women from the show who collectively accused the creator of sexual harassment. This move came during the cultural shift sparked by the Me Too movement.
Bush spent nine seasons playing Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill. She explained that a post on X triggered the group to act. The post encouraged the women to come forward when they felt ready. Bush noted that the process was a difficult labor for everyone involved. She mentioned that the stories were not just her own to tell and that different women experienced very different levels of harassment.
Bush described her own experiences as being on the lower end of a scale. She said others faced much more severe situations. Eventually, the group realized a collective statement was necessary for them. Bush volunteered to draft this document herself. She had taken a constitutional law class for fun years prior. Writing the statement became an outlet for her to process her own trauma.
Bush says she interviewed every single woman who signed the letter
The actor wanted to ensure the language felt safe for everyone. She checked which words were acceptable and which were not. Her goal was to protect the women involved in the process. Bush noted that stories about women are often used just for entertainment. She wanted to keep this statement accurate, true, and protective.
The letter eventually led to a response from 25 women on the set of The Royals. Mark Schwahn was working on that project at the time as well. The creator was later suspended and fired from his showrunner position there.
Bush felt the outcome proved why people should believe women. She pushed back against those who claim actresses lie for gain. She pointed to her positive experience on a Shonda Rhimes show as proof and noted that abuse is never a requirement for success in the industry.
Bush also discussed her past relationship with co-star Chad Michael Murray. She confirmed that Hilarie Burton warned her against dating him. Burton and Murray had worked together on a different project previously. Bush admitted that the experience for Burton was not great. Burton explicitly told her to avoid dating him.
Bush confessed that she lacked the experience to heed that advice at the time
She and Murray were both 23 when they married in April 2005. The couple separated just five months later. Their divorce became final in December 2006. Cheating rumors were common during that period of her life. Bush joked that she was quite gullible when she was younger.
Bush says she previously thought her friendship with Burton cooled because of the relationship. She felt a lot of shame about not listening to the warning. She now recognizes that Burton was right about who he was back then. The two have since moved past that distance in their friendship. Bush noted that it is all good between them now.
She says she has even developed friendships with women Murray allegedly cheated on her with. Bush writes about these connections in her upcoming memoir And I Will Tell You Mine. She believes they have all grown into different individuals over the years. She acknowledged that she would take any of those women in a lineup.
Bush does not hold onto ill will for her ex-husband today. She has said that she prefers not to talk about him in detail.
The podcast interview provided a candid look at Bush’s past
Murray married Sarah Roemer in 2015 and they have three children. Bush married Grant Hughes but divorced in 2023. She has since married soccer player Ashlyn Harris. She remains focused on her own life and growth. The podcast interview provided a candid look at her past.
Today, Bush continues to prioritize the well-being of the women she stood with in 2017. Her commitment to protecting those voices remains a core part of her story. She understands the weight of the choices she made on set and stands by the decision to speak out against the abuse she witnessed. Bush’s debut memoir And I Will Tell You Mine: Notes from a Life in Progress will be published by Flatiron Books on Oct. 27, 2026.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
