Jeffrey Tambor could be written out of Transparent amid harassment allegations
In the aftermath of two sexual harassment allegations made against him, Jeffrey Tambor could be written out of the award-winning Amazon drama Transparent.
According to Deadline, the show's writers are currently discussing ways in which the show could continue without its star, treading a similar line as Netflix, which announced this month that Kevin Spacey would no longer appear on the programme following his own sexual harassment scandal.
Tambor, who has won a Golden Globe and two Emmys for his portrayal of transgender woman Maura Pfefferman on the series, has been accused by two women of inappropriate behaviour on the show's set.
Actress Trace Lysette, who plays a yoga instructor on the series, took to the Hollywood Reporter with allegations that Tambor remarked "My God, Trace, I want to attack you sexually," before beginning a "quick, discreet thrust back and forth" against her.
Lysette's allegation follows allegations made by a woman who previously worked as Tambor's personal assistant on the series. The details of the accusation were made in a private Facebook post which fell into the hands of Amazon, who are currently in the middle of an investigation into the allegations.
In a statement on the accusations, Tambor denied that he was a sexual predator.
"For the past four years, I've had the huge privilege — and huge responsibility — of playing Maura Pfefferman, a transgender woman, in a show that I know has had an enormous, positive impact on a community that has been too long dismissed and misunderstood," he said. "Now I find myself accused of behavior that any civilised person would condemn unreservedly.
"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. But I have never been a predator — ever. 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."
