Jeffrey Tambor has quit the Amazon series, Transparent, after a co-star and a former personal assistant separately accused him of sexual misconduct, reports The Huffington Post. Tambor, who won acclaim for his portrayal of a transgender woman on the show, has denied the accusations.
“Playing Maura Pfefferman on ‘Transparent’ has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life,” Tambor, 73, said in the statement, according to The Huffington Post. “What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago.”
He went on to say that he is deeply regretful is any action of his “was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive.” However, he said that “the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue,” and that given the “politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted” the set of the show, he does not see how he can return to Transparent, according to The Huffington Post.
This announcement comes days after actress Trace Lysette accused Tambor of making “many sexual advances and comments” during the time they worked together. She posted on Twitter that Tambor forcibly rubbed his body against hers when they were shooting a scene of Transparent with co-star Alexandra Billings.
My full statement #MeToo pic.twitter.com/V4CHpvEMpZ
— Trace Lysette (@tracelysette) November 17, 2017
Lysette’s post came after a claim made by Tambor’s former assistant, Van Barnes, who wrote a private Facebook post saying the actor behaved inappropriately with her. She did not provide specifics, reports The Huffington Post.
Tambor has denied both allegations. “I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to work with. I can be volatile and ill-tempered, and too often I express my opinions harshly and without tact,” he told Deadline in a statement Thursday, reports The Huffington Post. “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.”
Amazon Studios is reportedly looking into the claims.
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