A few weeks back, ‘Transparent’ lead actor Jeffrey Tambor – who plays the celebrated show’s leading character Maura Pfefferman – was hit with a pair of allegations of sexual harassment by two transgender women attached to the series. It comes at a time when Hollywood is facing a whole slew of allegations against legions of different big names in the entertainment industry, and has cast a huge stain on the critically-acclaimed show.
Jeffrey Tambor has starred in four seasons of ‘Transparent’ to-date
Amazon instantly launched an investigation into Tambor after finding a post on social media by his former assistant Van Barnes, which suggested a former boss had repeatedly groped and propositioned her, suggesting she should sleep with him if she were to climb the industry ladder. She also said her employer played pornography at loud volumes, made a number of rude comments and threatened to sue her if she ever spoke out.
Now, Tambor’s co-star Trace Lysette has come out with an allegation of sexual misconduct against the star, saying that he made sexually charged remarks to her, as well as pressing himself against her between takes for the series.
She told The Hollywood Reporter: “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 thurst[ing] back and forth against my body. I felt his penis on my hip through his thin pajamas.”
Fans of Tambor have been particularly upset about these accusations, as he’s been such a staunch and brilliant supporter of the trans community, and the wider LGBT+ community. Now, if the allegations turn out to be based in truth, all of that will be tainted and the Amazon series may not survive at all.
Despite that, it’s encouraging to know writers are working on ways to keep the show going without Tambor if he is found to have to been acting inappropriately. There are plenty of other brilliantly talented actors on the show that should keep their jobs, no matter what the outcome of the Tambor investigation is.
More: Gender Identity Explored As Jeffrey Tambor Takes On Tough Role In ‘Transparent’
We’ll bring you more news on the fifth season of ‘Transparent’ as and when we get it.
