It's a sobering time in the entertainment industry, as formerly respected figures in Hollywood are being accused of sexual misconduct on almost a daily basis. After allegations began pouring in about Harvey Weinstein, resulting in his firing from both his company and the film academy, the floodgates truly opened. A bevy of actors, directors, and producers have now been accused of using their power to influence, assault, or harass others, with their careers seemingly being ended in the process. And now Star Trek actor and pop culture icon George Takei has been accused of assaulting a former model in his home in 1981.
News broke yesterday at THR, with Scott R Brunton detailing how he became disoriented after a night of drinking, temporarily losing consciousness in George Takei's home. He claims that he regained consciousness to find Takei groping him and undressing him. Afterward, he fled the residence. He allegedly told friends about the situation over the years but is just now coming forward in a more public capacity with his story. You can read an excerpt below...
All of a sudden, I begin feeling very disoriented and dizzy, and I thought I was going to pass out. I said I need to sit down and he said sit over here and he had the giant yellow beanbag chair. So I sat down in that and leaned my head back and I must have passed out... The next thing I remember I was coming to and he had my pants down around my ankles and he was groping my crotch and trying to get my underwear off and feeling me up at the same time, trying to get his hands down my underwear.
George Takei has since taken to social media to refute this claim, claiming he doesn't even remember Scott R Brunton at all. On his Twitter thread response, Takei said this:
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. The events he describes back in the 1980s simply did not occur, and I do not know why he has claimed them now. I have wracked my brain to ask if I remember Mr. Brunton, and I cannot say I do. But I do take these claims very seriously, and I wanted to provide my response thoughtfully and not out of the moment. Right now it is a he said / he said situation, over alleged events nearly 40 years ago. But those that know me understand that non-consensual acts are so antithetical to my values and my practices, the very idea that someone would accuse me of this is quite personally painful. Brad, who is 100 percent beside me on this, as my life partner of more than 30 years and now my husband, stands fully by my side. I cannot tell you how vital it has been to have his unwavering support and love in these difficult times.Thanks to many of you for all the kind words and trust. It means so much to us.
So far Scott R Brunton is the only one to accuse George Takei of sexual assault, and it's not clear exactly how this will affect his career moving forward. That being said, these type of accusations often change the trajectory of a variety of projects, so it's certainly something that is being taken seriously in the industry.
That's definitely shown to be the case with some other high profile entertainment professionals in the past few weeks. After Harvey Weinstein was ousted from his various positions, Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of sexually harassing him at the age of 14. A variety of other accusers, many of which were on the crew of House of Cards, have since come forward, and Netflix has cut ties with the Academy Award winning actor. And just yesterday comedian Louis CK admitted to allegations of sexual misconduct, claiming that consent means something else when you're in a position of power. Since then, CK's movie I Love You, Daddy has been canned, with FX cutting ties and The Secret Life Of Pets sequel dropping him from the lead role.
Disclosure: CinemaBlend's parent company, Gateway Blend, has a working relationship with George Takei.
