Jeffrey Tambor, best known for his roles in “Arrested Development” and “Transparent,” has officially been fired from Amazon’s original series after an investigation into his alleged sexual harassment concluded this week.
The allegations were brought against Tambor in November 2017 by two transgender actresses he worked with on the show. Van Barnes and Trace Lysette accused Tambor of making unwanted physical advances on them and offering to trade sexual favors for pay raises.
Tambor issued an apology after the accusations were made public. “I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to work with,” he said. “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.”
But Thursday, Amazon confirmed to Deadline what many had suspected. The company announced it had finished its investigation into Tambor and decided to terminate the actor from the upcoming season.
“I have great respect and admiration for Van Barnes and Trace Lysette, whose courage in speaking out about their experience on Transparent is an example of the leadership this moment in our culture requires,” Jill Soloway, the creator of “Transparent,” said in a statement. “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.”
Trace Lysette mentioned in an earlier statement that she hopes the show will continue. “Don’t let the trans community suffer for the actions of one cis male actor,” she wrote.
Jeffrey Tambor played Maura Pfefferman, the main character in “Transparent” and has won several Emmys for his role in the show. It’s unclear how Amazon will proceed with the show going forward.
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