George Takei took to Twitter on Saturday to deny groping a male model back in the 1980s.
Takei, the 80-year-old Star Trek icon, said in a series of tweets that events described by Scott R. Brunton in The Hollywood Reporter “simply did not occur,” and he does not remember ever knowing Brunton.
“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,” Takei tweeted.
Brunton told The Hollywood Reporter he was 23 when he first met Takei at a bar. Brunton was living in Hollywood and working as a waiter at the time. They exchanged numbers, speaking by telephone from time to time, when he rang up Takei after breaking up with a boyfriend. Takei invited him to dinner and the theatre, Brunton said. He said the two went to Takei’s condo for drinks after.
He said he grew dizzy and “must have passed out,” awaking to his pants around his ankles and Takei groping him. He said he extricated himself and left.
The Hollywood Reporter said on Friday it spoke to four longtime friends of Brunton who said he had confided in them about Takei years ago.
