Jeffrey Tambor Has Spoken Out After Being Fired From ‘Transparent’
The actor was accused of sexual harassment by two women on the show.
Jeffrey Tambor has been officially fired from his role in the award winning comedy-drama series Transparent, after being accused of sexual harassment on the set of the show.
Amazon Studios confirmed that it had parted ways with Tambor on Thursday, after launching an internal investigation in response to the harassment allegations, which came from both Transparent guest star Trace Lysette and Van Barnes, a former assistant.
Tambor has responded to the allegations, both defending his innocence and slamming Amazon’s handling of the allegations.
“I am profoundly disappointed in Amazon’s handling of these false accusations against me,” he said in a statement. “I am even more disappointed in Jill Soloway’s unfair characterisation of me as someone who would ever cause harm to any of my fellow cast mates. In our four-year history of working together on this incredible show, these accusations have NEVER been revealed or discussed directly with me or anyone at Amazon. Therefore, I can only surmise that the investigation against me was deeply flawed and biased toward the toxic politicised atmosphere that afflicted our set.”
He added:
“As I have consistently stated, I deeply regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone and I will continue to vehemently defend myself. I also deeply regret that this ground-breaking show, which changed so many lives, is now in jeopardy. That, to me, is the biggest heartbreak.”
Jeffrey Tambor was fired, now an actual trans actor can take his spot.
— Go Ask Yuh Mudda (@AnotherNerd4) February 15, 2018
Meanwhile, series creator Jill Soloway released a statement praising Barnes and Lysette, stating they were “an example of the leadership this moment in our culture requires.”
“We are grateful to the many trans people who have supported our vision for Transparent since its inception and remain heartbroken about the pain and mistrust their experience has generated in our community. We are taking definitive action to ensure our workplace respects the safety and dignity of every individual, and are taking steps to heal as a family.”
It is unclear what the departure of Tambor’s lead character of Maura Pfefferman will mean to the show after its upcoming fifth season.