Jeffrey Tambor Quits 'Transparent'
by EG
Jeffrey Tambor, star of Amazon's Transparent, denies the multiple allegations of sexual assault against him, but he says that he no longer wants to work on the series. Tambor has been accused of inappropriate behavior by both a castmember and his former assistant.
Following a wave of sexual harassment allegations against star Jeffrey Tambor, the actor has exited Amazon Studios' critically acclaimed comedy Transparent.
That Tambor would exit his award-winning show and role comes as little surprise. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter last week that Soloway was mulling writing Tambor out of the drama — and potentially killing off his character, Maura Pfefferman.
The decision arrives after Transparent castmember Trace Lysette told The Hollywood Reporter that Tambor sexually harassed her on multiple occasions, claiming he "got physical" in one instance. After the alleged physical assault, which took place on set, Lysette said she felt like she was being targeted and sexually harassed by Tambor. Working with the actor "has been a roller coaster. One minute Jeffrey is lovely, the next it's a temper tantrum or flirtation," she said. (Tambor, in a statement, acknowledged that he can be "volatile and ill-tempered" to work with, "but I have never been a predator — ever.")
Lysette is the second transgender actress to go public with misconduct allegations against Tambor. His former assistant, transgender actress Van Barnes, accused the actor of behaving in a sexually inappropriate manner in a private social media post. Amazon immediately launched an investigation into the Transparent star on Nov. 8. At the time, Soloway told THR, "Anything that would diminish the level of respect, safety and inclusion so fundamental to our workplace is completely antithetical to our principles. We are cooperating with the investigation into this matter."
The Transparent writing staff, sources say, began reworking the upcoming fifth season following news of the first allegation against Tambor as the series mulled refocusing the show without its star.
When speaking with THR ahead of season four, co-star Alexandra Billings, who also supported Lysette's claims, acknowledged that Tambor, a cis man, would never have been cast in the lead transgender role if the show had launched in 2017. "There would be a backlash unlike anything," said the transgender actress and activist. "Anytime it happens, those projects go away. There have been two movies that have come out with cis people in the lead playing trans people, and they disappeared. So first of all, that speaks to our power. And second of all, that speaks to the fact that the consciousness in America is changing."
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
Do you believe the allegations against Jeffrey Tambor? Tell us about it in the comments below.