Award-winning Amazon series Transparent may continue without its main character after star Jeffrey Tambor was accused of sexual harassment by his former assistant.
Although the show’s concept – and its title – are based on Tambor’s transgender mom, insiders say that the claims made by Van Barnes, who is also transgender, may have made his position untenable.
That means they’re now working out how the fifth season can progress without Tambor’s involvement, according to Deadline.
Trouble: Jeffrey Tambor, 73, may be dropped from his starring role in Amazon’s Transparent. In the celebrated show he plays Maura, a transgender mom who transitions late in life
Accused: He was accused of groping and lewd remarks by transgender ex-assistant Van Barnes (left and right). The show’s writers are now working on the fifth season of the series
On November 8, Tambor, 73, was accused by Barnes in a private Facebook post of repeatedly propositioning her, groping her and making lewd comments, Deadline previously reported.
She also said he threatened to sue her if she spoke out about him.
Tambor was not named in the post, but later issued a statement in which he identified himself as the target of the message and denied all the claims.
Amazon Studios launched an investigation into the claims on November 8, and has yet to make any announcement about the show’s future.
But it is in a difficult position, as Transparent was its first breakout success, and attracts a socially conscious audience.
That the claims made against Tambor came from a transgender woman only makes the situation worse for them.
And while Netflix is in a similar situation with House of Cards after claims of abuse emerged about star Kevin Spacey, it doesn’t have the advantage of as much flexibility.
After all, Transparent’s entire title is based around the show’s transgender matriarch.
Cast: The show has a sizeable cast (pictured) but could struggle to go on without Tambor (bottom-right), whose character the show is named after
The show’s creator, Jill Soloway, who identifies as being gender non-binary, said the show’s team would comply with Amazon’s investigation.
Soloway added in a statement: ‘Anything that would diminish the level of respect, safety and inclusion so fundamental to our workplace is completely antithetical to our principles.’
In his own statement, Tambor said: ‘I am aware that a former disgruntled assistant of mine has made a private post implying that I had acted in an improper manner toward her.
‘I adamantly and vehemently reject and deny any and all implication and allegation that I have ever engaged in any improper behavior toward this person or any other person I have ever worked with.
‘I am appalled and distressed by this baseless allegation.’
In October Amazon Studios boss Roy Price resigned over sexual harassment claims from July 2015 made by producer Isa Hackett.
Hackett told The Hollywood Reporter that after being introduced to her, Price allegedly suggested they ‘have an affair’ to help promote her series and bragged about his sexual prowess, such as telling her ‘You will love my d**k’.
Just hours after Hackett’s story was published, Amazon suspended Price. He resigned the following day.