Actor Jeffrey Tambor dropped after an investigation into sexual harassment allegations
The Transparent actor Jeffrey Tambor has been dropped by Amazon, it has been confirmed.
The 73-year-old actor, who played Maura Pfefferman in the show, was accused of misconduct by his co-star Trace Lysette in a statement that was posted to Twitter in November. Using the #MeToo hashtag, Lysette wrote that Tambor had: “made many sexual advances and comments at [her]”.
She then goes on to write that on one occasion – while on set and inbetween takes – those advances became physical:
“My back was against the wall in a corner as Jeffrey approached me. He came in close, put his bare feet on top of mine so I could not move, leaned his body against me, and began quick, discreet thrusts back and forth against my body.” ​
Lysette’s full statement can be read below.
An original allegation came after Tambor’s assistant Van Barnes claimed he had propositioned her, made lewd comments, groped her and threatened her.
After Lysette published her statement, Tambor apologised but denied the allegations: “I am deeply sorry if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being sexually aggressive or if I ever offended or hurt anyone.
“But the fact is, for all my flaws, I am not a predator and the idea that someone might see me in that way is more distressing than I can express.”
Speaking to Deadline yesterday, Jill Soloway creator of Transparent, said: “I have great respect and admiration for Van Barnes and Trace Lysette, whose courage in speaking out about their experience on Transparent is an example of the leadership this moment in our culture requires.
“We are grateful to the many trans people who have supported our vision for Transparent since its inception and remain heartbroken about the pain and mistrust their experience has generated in our community.
“We are taking definitive action to ensure our workplace respects the safety and dignity of every individual, and are taking steps to heal as a family.”
It’s not yet clear how Amazon will deal with the removal of Tambor’s character, who played a central role in the show, Transparent will however be returning for its fifth season with the rest of the cast.