Almost three weeks after Jason Mitchell was dropped from The Chi amid allegations of misconduct, questions remain about what exactly happened behind the scenes at the Showtime drama. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mitchell’s inappropriate behavior was reported by The Chi star Tiffany Boone and Season 2 showrunner Ayanna Floyd Davis, but despite network-mandated training classes, Mitchell’s behavior continued, and he was subsequently fired. “I wish I would’ve handled the situation differently,” said The Chi creator Lena Waithe on a recent episode of The Breakfast Club. “I wish I would’ve done more.”

THR reports that the scandal first began in April 2019, when Mitchell was fired from the Netflix film Desperados for allegedly making “highly inappropriate remarks to two actresses in the film while lingering close to their quarters.” A source told HR that there were “two incidents in four days,” and after Netflix investigated, he was fired from the film (he has since been replaced with New Girl‘s Lamorne Morris).

Shortly after Mitchell was released from Desperados, Showtime and The Chi‘s production company Fox 21 opted to do the same (Mitchell has played Brandon, an aspiring chef, for two seasons). He was also dropped by his agency, UTA, and management company, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, in rapid succession. THR reports that Mitchell’s behavior became a problem on The Chi Season 1 set — Boone reportedly filed her complaint after the first season wrapped — but Waithe attempted to solve the issue by hiring Floyd Davis, a black woman, to lead the show in Season 2.

“When I took the helm in season two, it was Lena who informed me of the issues between Jason Mitchell and Tiffany Boone from season one, and that Tiffany was thinking of leaving the show because of it,” Floyd Davis told THR. “As a result of this information, I discussed Tiffany’s claims with the studio’s HR department and set up HR presentations for the writers, cast and crew. Ultimately, everyone was well aware of Jason’s behavior and his multiple HR cases, including Lena, the creator and an executive producer of the show, who is very involved at the studio and network level.”

Around this time, reports resurfaced that Mitchell was investigated for assault in 2016 when a woman accused him of attacking her at a Boston hotel. According to TMZ, the 18-year-old woman claimed that Mitchell “threw her to the ground by her hair” and left her screaming for help in the hallway of the Ritz Carlton hotel. At the time, TMZ reported that he was not arrested for the incident.

“As showrunner, I did everything I could to deal with his behavior B=by speaking with the studio’s HR department multiple times and instructing one actress to call HR herself,” Floyd Davis told THR. The Chi showrunner said that she then “became a target of [Mitchell’s] rage and inappropriateness,” and had no choice but to “report him to HR, as well.”

In late May, Waithe addressed the misconduct allegations during an appearance on radio show The Breakfast Club. She confirmed reports that she hired Floyd Davis after learning of Mitchell’s behavior, saying, “Not to say that women are exempt from doing things, but I think it would make it a safer environment. That was my assumption.” Continued Waithe, “Then I get a call from Ayanna saying things are persisting but not a lot has changed in that area. She told me, ‘You can’t reach out to anybody. You’ve got to sit tight. HR has to handle this.'”

Waithe told The Breakfast Club hosts that she wants to “own” her role in the scandal. I wish I would’ve handled the situation differently,” said the creator. “And I wish I would’ve done more. What I want to do is own my part in it.” Waithe went on to say that she warned Mitchell about his behavior, telling him, “You need to be respectful of women on set,” but it didn’t make a difference. The creator also addressed her critics, saying that “people don’t understand that” despite being The Chi‘s creator and executive producer, she doesn’t have “the power to fire anyone.” Added Waithe, “I did everything I could to improve the environment.”

Watch The Chi on Showtime