Jeffrey Tambor Has Quit Amazon Show ‘Transparent’ Over Sexual Harassment Scandal

Jeffrey Tambor has quit the Amazon show Transparent over the sexual harassment scandal. Tambor played the lead on Transparent as Maura Pfefferman, a transgender woman. But Tambor isn’t exactly apologizing, and rather he is blaming a “politicized atmosphere” for the accusations that he says have made the successful show different than what he signed up for four years ago. Jeffrey Tambor was already being written out of the new season after reports that he sexually harassed two transgender women on the set of Transparent.

The first complaint about Jeffrey Tambor was made by his assistant, Van Barnes, and Tambor denied that, calling Barnes a disgruntled employee. But then Trace Lysette posted her experience with Tambor on Twitter. Lysette says that Jeffrey Tambor came at her forcefully, and she had a witness. Read Trace Lysette’s full statement here

“He [Tambor] 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 pen** on my hip through his thin pajamas.”

Jeffrey Tambor apologized to Trace Lysette, saying he was sorry if she misinterpreted his actions.

“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.”

Amazon had already started investigating Jeffrey Tambor after Van Barnes posted on Facebook about her experience with Tambor, but when Lysette came forward on Friday, the heat was turned up. Before Amazon could complete their investigation, Tambor quit and seems angry that Amazon was investigating.

“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.”

Jill Soloway, the creator of Transparent, is still not speaking out at this time about Jeffrey Tambor or about how the show will continue without Tambor’s character, Maura Pfefferman. At a panel yesterday in Hollywood, Soloway said she was unable to comment.

“[I am] not able to say anything at all.”

Beyond Trace Lysette, no other Transparent cast members have commented on Jeffrey Tambor and the accusations against him.

[Featured Image by Alex Berliner/AP Images]