Three weeks ago it seemed as if Jeffrey Tambor was leaving his Amazon series “Transparent” after a co-star and a former personal assistant both accused him of sexual misconduct.
Now things aren’t so clear.
On Nov. 19, the 73-year-old Emmy-winning actor released a statement to Deadline in which he denied the accusations, but also implied he would not return for Season 5 of “Transparent.”
“Playing Maura Pfefferman on ‘Transparent’ has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life,” Tambor said in the statement. “Given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don’t see how I can return to ‘Transparent.’”
However, a representative for Tambor told The New York Times in a story published Wednesday that the actor has no plans to quit.
Amazon is currently investigating the allegations made against Tambor by his former assistant Van Barnes and by actress Trace Lysette.
Meanwhile, the show’s creators are looking at all their options, including continuing the series without Tambor’s character, an idea that gets support from Our Lady J, one of the show’s writers.
In late November, she thanked Lysette for speaking up about Tambor’s alleged behavior and for suggesting an alternative way to continue the series without him.
“You are right — we cannot let trans content be taken down by a single cis man,” she said.
The show’s creator, Jill Soloway, declined to discuss the allegations with The New York Times because Amazon’s investigation is ongoing but said she takes “what Van Barnes and Trace Lysette are saying very seriously.”
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