Last week, Van Barnes, who used to be Transparent actor Jeffrey Tambor's assistent, came forwarded with allegations of sexual harassment against the star, prompting an internal investigation at streaming service, Amazon.
Now, his co-star on the show, Trace Lysette, alleges the actor made lewd, sexually suggestive and inappropriate remarks to her on several occasions too, in a statement obtained by Deadline.
According to Lysette, the actor is also said to have physically pressed up against her in a sexually aggressive manner during a break in filming.
'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 thrust back and forth against my body. I felt his penis on my hip through his thin pyjamas,' she said, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Tambor, who described Barnes' accusations as 'baseless' and referred to her as 'a disgruntled former employee of mine,' has now responded to Lysette's allegation.
In a statement obtained by Deadline on Thursday, Tambor said:
'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.
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.
Some have pointed out that his statement is a denial rather than an apology.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
