‘Shrinking’ Assistant Director Says Warner Bros. Fired Her After Groping, Wage Theft Complaints

A former assistant director on Apple TV’s “Shrinking” is suing Warner Bros. Television, claiming she was fired after reporting alleged wage theft and accusing one of the show’s executive producers of groping her at a wrap party.

Mindy Tessa McKoin, who worked as a key second assistant director on the Jason Segel and Harrison Ford comedy, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court against Warner Bros. Television, director and executive producer Randall Winston and others. The seven-claim complaint alleges sexual harassment, battery, retaliation and wrongful termination and seeks unspecified damages.

McKoin also filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on Tuesday.

Much of the lawsuit centers on McKoin’s claim that production staff altered time records to show fewer hours than she and other crew members actually worked.

McKoin joined “Shrinking” in 2024 and alleges she was shorted an entire day’s pay early in her time on the series. When she questioned the discrepancy, she says she was told production accounting had been instructed to record her hours that way.

Warner Bros. later made McKoin the sole key second assistant director for the show’s fourth season in 2026, according to the complaint. She alleges another pay dispute arose after she performed budget work at production’s request and sought compensation for the additional hours.

McKoin says she escalated her concerns to Doozer Productions, the company run by “Shrinking” co-creator Bill Lawrence.

Producer Kip Kroeger later confronted her about taking the complaint to Doozer, according to the lawsuit. McKoin alleges she told him her timecard had been unlawfully altered and that she had prepared a wage theft claim because other crew members had experienced similar problems.

The complaint says Kroeger subsequently raised concerns about how McKoin had spoken to crew members during a tech scout.

Another dispute followed when McKoin was asked to incorporate a pickup shot for “Bad Monkey,” another Warner Bros. Television production, into a “Shrinking” filming day. She alleges the studio wanted the additional work handled “under the radar” and resisted her request for proper compensation.

McKoin was fired July 10. According to the complaint, Kroeger told her the decision reflected the “different needs of production.”

Her lawsuit argues the timing supports her retaliation claims. McKoin says she made repeated oral and written complaints about unpaid wages and altered time records between late May and July 1, less than six weeks before her termination.

California law protects workers from retaliation for asserting certain wage rights or reporting suspected labor violations. McKoin will have to establish a connection between her workplace complaints and the decision to terminate her.

The lawsuit separately accuses Winston of sexual misconduct during the Season 2 wrap party on June 22, 2024.

McKoin alleges she was sitting at a bar speaking with another crew member when Winston approached her from behind and grabbed her breast without her consent.

She says she reported the alleged incident to her supervisor and accuses Warner Bros. of failing to take appropriate corrective action.

Warner Bros. Television disputes her account of how the allegations were handled. The studio said it brought in an independent third party to investigate and that the review found McKoin’s allegations unsubstantiated and unsupported by corroborating evidence.

Winston continued working as a director and executive producer on “Shrinking” and was present on set as recently as July 8, 2026, two days before McKoin was dismissed, according to the filing.

The sexual harassment and battery allegations create a separate basis for liability from McKoin’s wage claims. Her retaliation case centers on whether protected workplace complaints contributed to her firing, while the harassment claims concern Winston’s alleged conduct and Warner Bros.’ response after the accusation was raised.

McKoin alleges she had worked on three seasons of “Shrinking” without being disciplined or written up before her termination.

“Shrinking” was renewed for a fourth season earlier this year. The Apple TV comedy has received multiple Emmy nominations, including recognition for Segel and Harrison Ford.

McKoin is seeking damages for alleged lost wages, lost employment benefits, and emotional distress. The lawsuit is pending in Los Angeles Superior Court.