Jeffrey Tambor Officially Fired From 'Transparent'

Following multiples accusations of sexual harassment and months of speculation about his employment status, Jeffrey Tambor has officially been fired from "Transparent."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon confirmed the news on Thursday. The action came after the streaming service conducted an internal investigation into the actor's alleged behavior, which included sending sexually inappropriate messages to his former assistant, as well as sexually harassing fellow actors on set on multiple occasions, and in one case, getting "physical."

In a statement, "Transparent" creator Jill Soloway confirmed Tambor's departure, praising those who came forward and vowing to fix the atmosphere on set. Her statement said:

"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. 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."

While the news of Tambor's official exit isn't entirely surprising, it does finally end speculation spurred on by the actor himself, who issued dueling comments on the matter after the allegations surfaced late last year.

"I don't see how I can return to Transparent," Tambor said in November, citing "the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set." A rep for the actor later walked back those remarks a bit, telling the New York Times in December, " ... [I]t's very hard for him to see how he can possibly return. But no final decision for next year has been made, either by Jeffrey or by Amazon."

What remains to be seen now is how "Transparent" will continue without its central star. The show had already been renewed for a fifth season before the scandal surrounding Tambor broke, but now, Soloway and co. will need to re-focus the series entirely -- and without the character whose coming out was the entire premise upon which the show was built.

Thankfully, "Transparent" has an excellent -- and award-winning -- creative team working behind the scenes. If anyone can pull it off, it's likely them. Stay tuned.

[via: The Hollywood Reporter]

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