Home & Family: Mark Steines Claims He Was Fired for Complaining Of Sexual Harassment

Former Home & Family co-host, Mark Steines, who was let go from the Hallmark channel series in May, filed a lawsuit on Thursday for retaliation and wrongful termination. 

According to Variety, the lawsuit from Steines is against Crown Media, and he claims that he was fired from the series because he spoke up in support of female workers on the show who were harassed by executive producer, Woody Fraser. 

What's more, Steines is alleging that he witnessed Fraser sneaking up on females who worked on the show and rubbing their shoulders. 

In addition to that, he claimed that a photo was doing the rounds on the set back in 2017, and it found Fraser “grabbing the face of young a female producer and forcing a kiss on her lips as she resisted and grimaced.”

Determined to take action, Steines said that he sent the photo to his rep for the network to take action against Woody.

In 2017, in an apparently unrelated incident to the above, "two courageous Home & Family female producers asserted claims of sexual harassment against Mr. Fraser and Crown Media," the lawsuit states.

Instead of taking action against Fraser, it was Steine's future with the network that was affected, and he was let go. 

Crown Media has revealed it has not seen the complaint, but that Steines' exit from the show was "a measured, strategic and difficult decision" given that the ratings were slipping for the show. 

"There is no merit to the legal claims Mr. Steines is asserting against Crown Media," the statement added.

Steines was a host of the show between 2012-18, and his exit from the was revealed back in June. 

“I’m here to share some news, and the family has joined me because we truly are a family, and while we just had a really great show, we have a very hard announcement to deliver,” said host Debbie Matenopoulos on the episode that aired June 1, adding:

“Our dear friend, our very good friend, and my wonderful co-host for years, Mr. Mark Steines, is no longer with Home & Family.”

“He has been an amazing friend to all of us here at Hallmark Channel — the cast, the crew — and a wonderful friend to all of you at home, as well,” she continued.

“We are grateful to Mark, and we want to thank him from the bottom of our hearts for six of the most incredible years that he has had here hosting this incredible show that he helped build. … He’s been here from the beginning, and a lot of this show has Mark’s handprint on it, so we support him in everything he does in the future, his future endeavors."

"We will miss him dearly, and we will think about him fondly — and often — and we thank you all at home for your kindness and understanding and your support and for being part of our family every day.”

While Debbie spoke up in support of him, Steines chatted to People shortly after and essentially said there was no reason for his firing what with the show's continued success. 

What are your thoughts on all of this, TV Fanatics?

Hit the comments below. 

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.