Former 'Vampire Diaries' writer says she faced abuse from a director

A former writer for "The Vampire Diaries" claims that she faced abuse on the set of the hit series by a director.

Elisabeth R Finch, in a guest column for the Hollywood Reporter, said she was overseeing the production on the first day of an episode she had written, when she saw an actor was missing.

She said when she brought this to the notice of the director of the episode, he used an expletive to describe her and stroked and pinched her cheek.

Finch said she continued to endure inappropriate and unwanted touching from the director throughout the shoot. She also saw him making "lewd jokes about actresses' bodies" but she never complained or spoke out against the behaviour during the shooting.

She, however, ran into showrunner Julie Plec on the final day and admitted that the director was not nice.

Plec shouted at her for not speaking up about the director earlier.

"She tells me I was wrong. Wrong to assume that my job is to just suck it up and pretend it's fine. Wrong not to tell her on day one. In that moment, I understand she's not yelling at me," Finch wrote.

"She is not shaming me. She is clear. And unwavering. And wants to be sure I hear every damn word when she says: 'It is not your job to take abuse or accept unacceptable behaviour because you're young and a woman. That is not your job.' There is no judgment or blame in her voice, only strength and certainty. And it's because of that strength and certainty I hear her, I believe her."

Finch said the director did not work on the show again after that and when Plec invited her for the next season, she told her, "I promise never to put you in the same room with (that director) ever again."