Now Jeffrey Tambor Is Accused of Sexual Harassment

The star of “Transparent,” an acclaimed Amazon series about a family that is turned upside down when the dad decides to live as a woman, has been accused of sexual harassment by a series co-star.

Jeffrey Tambor, 73, stars as the show’s transgender lead character, Maura Pfeffermen, and stands as the accused.

Transgender actress Trace Lysette has gone on record about her alleged experiences with Tambor.

[lz_ndn video=33269075]

Lysette said that during the filming of the show’s second season, she came out of wardrobe and Tambor commented, “My God, Trace. I want to attack you sexually.”

Lysette said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that she laughed the comment off as a joke — but later things turned more serious:

Then later, in between takes, I stood in a corner on the set as the crew reset for a wide shot. My back was against the wall in a corner as Jeffrey approached me. 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 pushed him off … Again, I laughed it off and rolled my eyes. I had a job to do and I had to do it with Jeffrey, the lead of our show. When they called action, I put that moment into its own corner of my mind.

Lysette also noted Tambor’s difficult behavior on the set and his knack for turning his mood on a dime. She alleges that he often made unwanted lewd comments toward her. Lysette said she’d kept quiet in danger of ruining her career, but she now hopes Amazon finds a way to continue the series without Tambor.

For his part, Tambor is already reportedly under investigation for sexual harassment by Amazon.

A former assistant, Van Barnes, filed a complaint recently with Amazon. The complaint alleges that Tambor regularly made lewd comments and unwanted advances, and that he groped her and threatened to sue her if she spoke up.

Barnes is also transgender.

Related: Stallone Responds to Allegations of Sexual Assault

Tambor publicly denied the Barnes allegations, but his response to Lysette’s accusations is actually quite telling. Just as with the similarly head-scratching public statements made by Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, Tambor seems to have left himself enough room in that he doesn’t fully deny the behavior — but instead accuses the alleged victim of “misinterpreting” his actions.

Tambor said in his public response to Lysette:

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. Now I find myself accused of behavior that any civilized 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.

In a sad bit of irony, Tambor used his public statement to highlight “Transparent” and the positive impact the show has had on the transgender “community.” It may very well have had a positive impact — but unfortunately, if these allegations are true, then it’s also a show led by a man who has aggressively and deliberately sought to hurt transgender people through a platform provided by the program.

Another running theme to note with these recent Hollywood allegations is that nearly all of the accused have had previous reputations in Hollywood as either difficult to work with or as outright bullies.

Tambor noted his own difficult behavior in his public statement — and he even parodied his long-rumored behavior in the show “Entourage.” Kevin Spacey has been accused by co-stars as being difficult to work with and as not treating others well. Harvey Weinstein was always known as a movie mogul bully, even by those who worked closely with him, such as Kevin Smith.

Brett Ratner and James Toback had similar reputations.

Steven Seagal, who has recently been accused of sexual harassment by several actresses, is also someone other stars have long included in stories about disastrous movie shoots or difficult work environments.

This is not to say every actor or filmmaker labeled “difficult” is a sexual predator, of course — but it suggests, perhaps, that sexual predators have felt safe in Hollywood for too long. Perhaps they are so difficult to work with because they feel they can get away with anything. Think about it: If you can go for years and years of getting away with predatory behavior, who is going to stop you from being a dismissive bully on a movie set?