George Takei & Richard Dreyfuss Respond To Sexual Harassment Allegations

George Takei, the 80-year-old Star Trek icon, said in a series of tweets that the sexual assault described by Scott R. Brunton in The Hollywood Reporter “simply did not occur,” and he does not remember ever knowing Brunton.

Friends,

I’m writing to respond to the accusations made by Scott R. Bruton. I want to assure you all that I am as shocked and bewildered at these claims as you must feel reading them. /1

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 11, 2017

Takei tweeted, “Right now it is a he said/he said situation, over alleged events nearly 40 years ago. But those that know me understand that nonconsensual acts are so antithethical to my values and my practices, the very idea that someone would accuse me of this is quite personally painful.”

Brunton told The Hollywood Reporter that he was 23 when he first met Takei at a bar. He was living in Hollywood and working as a waiter at the time. They exchanged numbers and even talked on the phone occasionally. Brunton said he called Takei after breaking up with a boyfriend and he invited him out to dinner and the theater. He said they then went to Takei’s condo for drinks after.

Brunton said he grew dizzy and “must have passed out” and when he woke up his pants were around his ankle and Takei was groping him. He said he freed himself and left. The Hollywood Reporter said Friday they spoke to four longtime friends of Brunton who said he had confided in them about his encounter with Takei years ago.

Richard Dreyfuss, the 70-year-old actor, also denies exposing himself to a female writer helping him with a TV script. Dreyfuss told the New York magazine blog Vulture he flirted and even kissed Los Angeles writer Jessica Teich over several years but thought it was “consensual seduction ritual.”

In 1987, Teich said she was summoned to Dreyfuss’s trailer on the set of one of his films and he had exposed himself to her. On Saturday, Dreyfuss’ agent Barry McPherson said his client denies ever exposing him to Teich and as for any other encounters with her, he is now “horrified and bewildered to discover that it wasn’t consensual.”