14 DAY TRIAL // Finally, here is a possible explanation for why Michael Muhney has not said anything yet to defend himself and shut down rumors surrounding his exit from the hit CBS soap opera “The Young and the Restless”: he is not allowed to speak about the events leading to his firing.
As a matter of fact, neither is Eric Braeden who, just last week, gave at last one lengthy interview about how Muhney was fired because he had an ego as big as a house and plotted to have him fired, so that he (Muhney) could replace him (Braeden).
Muhney, who played Adam Newman on the show, was fired in December and, until just recently, no one had an inkling as to why that happened. The actor hinted in one interview that his “big mouth” might have had something to do with it, but he wouldn’t say more on the topic.
Then came reports that he had harassed and groped co-star Hunter King and that’s why he was let go. Eric Braeden also had a hand in this, in the sense that he’d wanted Muhney gone for a very long time so, when Hunter went to the brass to complain, he backed her up happily because he knew it would mean having Michael finally gone.
Some days ago, Braeden spoke to an e-zine about the firing, saying that Muhney had it coming and that it should be a lesson for him to keep his mouth shut from now on and, more importantly, to never assume again that he can just replace “the old lion.”
Throughout all this, the only one not saying anything was Muhney himself: he didn’t issue a statement to clarify why he’d been let go, he didn’t deny the harassment allegations (neither through his rep nor on social media), and he didn’t feed stories to the tabs through “unnamed sources.”
Radar Online says that this is because he can’t do any of this because he’s gagged by an NDA. If he weren’t, he’d be in a position to deny Braeden’s ridiculous story, says a tipster.
“Eric’s comments were off base and his version of events is very different from Michael’s. It’s very frustrating that Eric made these remarks, because Michael has been ordered by Sony and CBS to not discuss anything about the show or cast,” says the spy.
“It’s considered a personnel matter and both are prohibited by terms of their contracts from discussing it. The only ones abiding by those orders are Michael and Hunter. Michael is trying to move on from the alleged groping incidents, but it’s hard to do when his former co-stars are trash talking him,” the insider continues.
So, even if the reports that he fondled King’s breasts are unfounded, he can’t speak up to defend himself. King herself can’t help him, even if she wanted to, so the last thing Muhney needs right now is for someone (like Braeden) to kick him when he’s down by giving such damning interviews.