Variety: Jeff Franklin Out As 'Fuller House' Showrunner Due To Alleged Behavior Issues

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA)   --   Variety is exclusively reporting that Jeff Franklin has been ousted as showrunner of Netflix's "Fuller House."

The series is a spinoff of the popular and widely syndicated "Full House" -- created by Franklin -- that ran on ABC from 1987-1995,

Variety cited sources who said the studio received complaints about Franklin's behavior on the set and in the writers' room.

"We are not renewing Jeff Franklin's production deal and he will no longer be working on 'Fuller House,'" Warner Bros. TV said in a statement to Variety. Stanton Larry Stein, a lawyer for Franklin, declined to comment to the publication.

In a statement on Wednesday, a Netflix spokesperson said, "'Fuller House' will return for a fourth season, as planned. We hope to go into production in the next few months."

The news of Franklin's removal sent shockwaves around the industry -- especially on a show and series with a reputation for being family-friendly. Showrunners and creators of series are often removed from programs but not usually when they are ratings juggernauts.

Variety said that Franklin was accused of being "verbally abusive to staffers and making inappropriate statements in the writers' room, including making sexually charged comments about his personal relationships and sex life."

Franklin was not accused of directly sexually harassing or engaging in physical misconduct with any staffers or performers. He was accused of often hiring the women he dates to play bit parts on the show.

"Full House" made stars of Bob Saget, Dave Coulier, John Stamos, Candace Cameron Bure and the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley. The entire cast, sans the Olsen twins -- now designers  sitting on an empire worth a reported $1 billion -- reunited for "Fuller House."

Variety said Warner Bros. TV executives received an anonymous letter more than two years ago alleging inappropriate behavior by Franklin.