Transparent star Jeffrey Tambor has again been forced to deny he sexually harassed a colleague while working on the award-winning TV show.
Trace Lysette, who plays transgender yoga instructor Shea on the Amazon series, claims Tambor made lewd remarks to her on several occasions and even pressed himself up against her while filming.
"He 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 thrusts back and forth against my body," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "I felt his penis on my hip through his thin pyjamas."
Lysette said Transparent has been a guiding light for the transgender community and called on the show's creators to "remove the problem and let the show go on".
"My hope is that Amazon can find the good in this, and use this as an opportunity, a teachable moment to re-centre the other trans characters in this show with the family members instead of just pulling it," she said. "Let our brilliant writers continue to craft something that is entertaining and creates a social change the way they know how. Don't let the trans community suffer for the actions of one cis male actor."
In a statement given to Deadline, Tambor denied any sexual misconduct but admitted he hasn't always been "the easiest person to work with".
"I can be volatile and ill-tempered and too often I express my opinions harshly and without tact," he said. "But I have never been a predator - ever. 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.
"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."
An Amazon spokesperson told Deadline the latest allegations will be included in the studio's investigation, which is ongoing. The trade publication reports that there have been "tentative discussions" about writing Tambor's character - transgender parent Maura Pfefferman - out of the show's upcoming fifth season.
Earlier this month, Tambor denied allegations he sexually harassed a former assistant who - like Lysette - is also transgender. He labelled the claims "baseless" and said they came from a "disgruntled" ex-employee.
