After a cruel summer of his own, Bert V. Royal leftFreeform’sCruel Summer,which he created, once the show’s pilot wrapped filming in August or September 2020, according to a new reportfromTheHollywood Reporter.Royal, previously knownfor writingEasy A,was credited as an executive producer of the entire series and as the writer of four of its ten episodes, including that pilot and the season-one finale. PerTHR’s sources, Royal repeatedly butted heads with a Freeform executive over the summer, ultimately leading him to exit the show months ahead of its April 2021 premiere — and beforeCruel Summerbecame one of Freeform’smost popularseries ever. This means the show will move ahead withits recently ordered second seasonwithout Royal under the direction of showrunner Tia Napolitano (a former producer ofGrey’s AnatomyandStation 19), who joined after the pilot wrapped. AsCruel Summertaught us, there are always two sides to every story, but Royal himself has yet to comment on the reports.