The American screenwriter, director, and producer Mark Schwahn gained huge fame as the creator of One Tree Hill in the early 2000s. However, he became infamous because of the multiple sexual-harassment accusations in 2017.
Following the allegations, Mark was suspended from the E! series The Royals. But where is Mark now? Is he still married to his wife? Let us help you to know everything that we know about Mark Schwahn.
Sexual Harassment And Misconduct
Back in 2017, Audrey Wauchope, one of the writers of One Tree Hill, accused Mark Schwahn of harassment on her personal Twitter account. Her tweet motivated other 18 women cast and crew to come forward and sign an open letter addressing his harassment and threats.
According to the open letter, Mark "manipulated psychologically and emotionally" the women on the show and "were put in positions where [they] felt physically unsafe."
The sexual harassment and threats by Mark were an “open secret” on the set but the victims were discouraged to come forward because it would result in the cancelation of the show which might end the jobs of hundreds of “lovely, qualified, hard-working and talented people.”
The stars like Hilarie Burton, Danneel Ackles, Sophia Bush, and Craig Sheffer have opened up about the harassment and misconduct they experienced while working with Mark.
According to Danneel Ackles, Mark came to her hotel room and her home uninvited and demanded to see her.
Likewise, Sophie Bush recounted instances in which she claimed that Mark was fixated on controlling the actors’ appearance in the show. He even got angry with her when she decided to change her hair between the seasons.
She opened up about her experience on the Drama Queens podcast’s April 4, 2022 episode. She said,
"You know what he said to me? A grown man who was my boss. I was 22, 23. He goes, 'Who the [expletive] told you could cut bangs? You know who had bangs? All the [expletive] cheerleaders in high school who never wanted to have s*x with me.' I was like, 'What's happening?' Craig, it was so controlling and gross and misogynistic and creepy for us. He'd yell at Hilarie and I if we put our hair in ponytails during cheer practice."
Previously, she revealed another troubling story relating to Mark while appearing on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast in 2021.
She claimed that he hung pictures of the female cast members in their underwear in his office. She even alleged he forcibly kissed her twice while working on One Tree Hill.
Mark also showed his controlling behaviors to Craig Sheffer who played the role of Uncle Keith. Previously, he ensured Craig that his position was safe but later his character was shockingly killed off early in the series.
Craig recalled a phone call that he received from the showrunner and explained how he had to end working in One Tree Hill. He explained,
"I go, 'OK, so I'm dead? Does that mean I don't get paid anymore?' He was like, 'Yeah.' I was like, 'Dude, you told me.' Not only was it cheesy, but the way it was handled. You don't call me and talk to me about it?"
He even recalled how Mark threatened to fire him. The actor said,
"'We want your hair combed back, we want you shaved, we want this.' It got to a point where they're calling my agent like, 'If this power struggle is going to continue, we're just going to get rid of him,'" the actor explained. "That kind of stuff, they break down your soul."
Amidst all the allegations, Mark declined to comment on any of the issues including his firing at the time.
Is Mark Schwahn Still Married To His Wife?
When Mark Schwahn’s sexual harassment allegations came forward, he was married to Diana Schwahn.
His wife Diana had always been away from the limelight so there is no information regarding her professional background.
Mark, age 56, shrouded his personal life with secrecy so the details regarding their wedding and married life were never made public.
However, when Hilarie Burton talked about the sexual assault allegations against Mark, she mentioned his wife.
According to Hilarie’s interview in 2017, she received several late-night phone calls from Mark during the production of season 3.
During that time, Mark once claimed that he was in love with another actress on the show and they even had a physical relationship despite being married to his wife.
Hilarie rebuked his call but the next day she received flowers with an unsigned note writing, “Thank you for being my secret keeper.”
She also recalled an incident that took place in 2006 when Mark invited her and a fellow actress (with whom he allegedly had an affair) to a concert with him and his wife.
Hilarie claimed that Mark glided one of his hands into her pants while his other hand was around his wife.
It’s not clear whether Mark is still together with his wife or not after the harassment allegations as he always kept his married life details inside a closed box.
Does Mark Schwahn Have Children?
Not just his married life, he also hasn’t revealed whether he has any kids or not. Mark had been miles away when it comes to opening up about his personal life so even if he had any children with his partner, their names and gender are a mystery.
Where Is Mark Schwahn Now?
Ever since the scandal, Mark has not been active in the industry. Following the sexual harassment allegations, he was fired from the E! scripted series The Royals.
Since then, Mark hasn’t worked on any projects and has kept himself away from the media. It seems that Mark has stopped working as a screenwriter, director, and producer.
He has been keeping himself away from the entertainment industry, living a private life.
Read More: Where Is Mark Schwahn Now?
Mark Schwahn’s Net Worth
Mark had a very successful career before he was exposed for harassing and threatening. He had a whopping net worth of around $10 million in 2011.
And by 2017, his net worth was estimated to be more than $15 million.
Hilarie Burton, Chad Michael Murray, And Mark Schewahn
Although Mark is not active in the media now, Hilarie Burton is still active in her professional career. She was recently seen in The Walking Dead (2021), True Crime Story: It Couldn't Happen Here (2021- present), and Good Sam (2022). She also hosts the podcast Drama Queens with her co-stars Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz.
Recently, she talked about Mark and how her former co-star Chad Michael Murray stood up for her. She remembered the incident that took place back in 2007 in Honey Grove, Texas and said,
"The flight back from that is when he assaulted me. He assaulted me again in the car on the drive from Raleigh to Wilmington, He went straight to set and he told Danneel [Ackles] that he and I made out the whole time, and it was fun, and he was trying to make her jealous. So, she confronted me about it and was like, "What are you doing?" And I’m like, "What are you talking about?"'
Hilarie, who says that her blood was boiling at that time, reported Mark to several people but it was Chad who defended her. She explained,
“Chad walked up and goes, ‘What are you doing?’ He said that to our boss in the bar… He watched our boss grab me in front of a lot of people, and you know, Chad didn’t have anything to lose cause he knew our boss hated him anyway. A lot of people had a lot to lose, so you don’t speak up when you have a lot to lose. But (our boss) felt so comfortable that that was not something that he had a problem with. (He thought), ‘I can do whatever I want to her in public with her boyfriend standing there.’”
Hilarie never mentioned Mark's name before but was vocal about the alleged treatment of him and used to identify him as their boss.
