Jeffrey Tambor released a statement on Sunday addressing his future on the Amazon show “Transparent,” saying he doesn’t think he will be coming back for the show’s fifth season after two transgender women on set accused him of sexual harassment.
“Playing Maura Pfefferman on ‘Transparent’ has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life,” the Emmy winning actor said. “What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago.”
“I’ve already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue. Given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don’t see how I can return to ‘Transparent.’”
Reps for Tambor say that neither the actor nor Amazon have come to an official decision to part ways.
On Friday, Tambor was accused by transgender co-star Trace Lysette of sexual harassment, with the alleged incident occurring during filming of the show’s second season.
“My back was against the wall in a corner as Jeffrey approached me,” Lysette 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 thrusts back and forth against my body. I felt his penis on my hip through his thin pajamas and I pushed him off of me.”
“I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to work with,” responded Tambor in a statement sent to TheWrap. “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.”
Lysette’s accusations were added to an already ongoing investigation into Tambor’s behavior that began after Van Barnes, a trans actress and Tambor’s former assistant, also accused him of harassment in a private Facebook post. Jill Soloway, the creator of “Transparent,” said that the show was fully cooperating with the investigation, adding that “anything that would diminish the level of respect, safety and inclusion so fundamental to our workplace is completely antithetical to our principles.”