‘MacGyver’ Star Lucas Till Says Peter Lenkov’s Bullying and Verbal Abuse on Set Made Him “Suicidal”

After CBS fired showrunner Peter Lenkov two weeks ago, some of his coworkers at the network are coming forward with stories of humiliation, hostility and abuse they experienced while working with him. One actor who worked with Lenkov on MacGyver said his experience was so traumatic that he contemplated suicide.

In a story published today by Vanity Fair, Lucas Till, who stars as Angus MacGyver, said that he experienced bullying, verbal abuse and body-shaming ever since he began working with Lenkov in 2016.

“I’ve never worked this hard in my life, and I am fine with hard work,” Till told the outlet. “But the way Peter treats people is just unacceptable. I was suicidal that first year on the show, because of the way he made me feel. But the way he’s treated the people around me — that’s just my breaking point.”

Till reached out to HR two times, in 2017 and recently, in 2020. “I think they just took it as some crazy actor trying to get more money,” he said. “Essentially, they didn’t take it seriously.”

Lenkov often criticized Till for his body, and the actor detailed the abuse in an email to the CBS HR department. “There was always something about my appearance that wouldn’t please him, like when I was in a hospital gown…. [Lenkov] said my legs were ‘f–king hideous’ and we can never show them again,” he wrote. “Honestly, I found some humor in that comment as well, but you can imagine if that was a more sensitive spot that he had hit, and often did.

“Just like the time he screamed at [a director] ‘Oh, my f–king God! Tuck his shirt in, he looks like a little f–king boy’… I’ve struggled with maintaining ‘man weight’ on the show because of the stress, no time to work out, and an unpredictable schedule for proper nourishment.”

Lenkov’s attorney told Vanity Fair that Till’s claims are “100 percent false and untrue.” Before he was fired by CBS July 7, Lenkov developed, executive produced and showran MacGyver and Magnum P.I. His deal with the studio was fully terminated after an investigation concluded he created a toxic work environment on his shows.

“Our Studio is committed to ensuring safe and respectful production environments,” CBS said at the time. “Over the past year, we have assigned human resource production partners to every show, expanded staff training and increased reporting options. We will continue to evolve our practices with continued focus on building trust with all who work on our sets. Every complaint is taken seriously, every claim is investigated, and when evidence is clear that policies were violated and values not upheld, we take decisive action.”

If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.

Where to watch MacGyver