Comedian Bryan Callen Accused of Sexual Assault or Misconduct by 4 Women
Santiago Felipe/Getty Bryan Callen
Comedian Bryan Callen has been accused of sexual assault or misconduct by four women.
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, which reported the allegations, Callen, 53, denied the accusations: "Let me be very clear: I have never raped, forced myself upon any woman nor offered to trade stage time for sex. EVER. I know the truth. And I can only hold my head high, remain true to myself, my family, my audience and know that I will not allow the cancel culture to subvert what I know and as importantly, what they know, is the truth."
A rep for Callen did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for further comment.
In the report published Friday, actress Katherine Fiore Tigerman alleged that Callen raped her in 1999. Tigerman claimed Callen held her down and forced her to have sex with him in his bedroom after a night out — despite her pleading with him to stop, the Los Angeles Times reported.
While Tigerman said she later shared the alleged incident with her now-husband Gabriel Tigerman and friend and actress Jenny Wade, she said she didn't feel comfortable going to the police at the time. She explained to the Times that submitting a rape kit felt "physically invasive." She also feared that if her father — actor Bill Fiore — found out, he would get into a physical altercation with Callen.
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A second allegation against Callen dates from a decade later, when he walked into an American Apparel store in Pittsburgh in 2009.
Jim Spellman/Getty Bryan Callen
Rachel Green, an employee there at the time, assisted the actor while he was shopping, alleging that he stepped out of the fitting room with nothing but boxer briefs multiple times, she told the Times.
Green alleged that things escalated the following day when Callen returned to the store and requested she help him again. She told the Times that on that occasion, Callen came out of the dressing room wearing Speedos and allegedly tried to kiss her.
"It was one of those tight gross little things," Green said. "He ran out of the fitting room to grab something, so I went in to get the clothes he'd already tried on. And then he comes in, pushes me against the wall, closes the curtains and starts kissing my neck as he asks me if I'm going to get in trouble."
Green said she ran out of the dressing room and told her colleagues what had happened.
In the report, comedian Tiffany King alleged that Callen asked her to perform a sexual act in a car in 2017 after they had just had dinner together. When King said no, she claimed Callen offered to pay her.
The fourth woman, Claire Ganshert, told the Times that she met Callen while she was working as a barista in New York City in 2012. She explained to the newspaper that the two began a sexual relationship that later ended in 2016. Ganshert claimed Callen told her that women have a “biological, primal desire to be raped.”
Ganshert later learned he was married to Amanda Humphrey. While Ganshert said she was not a "victim," she still felt Callen's behavior was inappropriate and that he should have known better.
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"I was just a wide-eyed girl starting out in the industry when he swooped," Ganshert told the Times. "There were these moments that were so intense, where it felt like he was really seeing me for my sexuality and my mouth and my body. Now, I see that for what it was. ... I am not a victim but I'm standing up for that 23-year-old girl by saying that a 45-year-old man should have known better."
After the report was published, Amy Schumer praised the women for coming forward.
"The @latimes just published this article by @amykinla about the repeat offenses of Bryan Callen. Thank you to the brave women coming forward and sharing their stories," Schumer wrote on Instagram alongside a screenshot of the article. "You are saving the women who may have come after you. And to the comics who are annoyed with me for standing with these ladies what are you so afraid of? Available on my number in my bio if anyone wants to talk about Bryan or any one else who has sexually assaulted you. @bryancallen have a nice day."
Known for his role on sketch series MADtv, Callen has also appeared in the films The Hangover, Joker and Think Like a Dog. He's also starred in the TV series The Goldbergs and Schooled.
Last week, Netflix confirmed that it had scrapped an upcoming prank show featuring Chris D'Elia in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations brought against the comedian. (D'Elia denied the allegations.) The show was also set to star Callen.
The sexual assault and misconduct allegations made against Callen come after his wife Humphrey filed for divorce in February. The estranged pair tied the knot in 2008.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to online.rainn.org.
