The latest celebrity to become embroiled in accusations of inappropriate sexual behvaiour is George Takei, who has been hit with allegations from a former male model that the Star Trek legend groped (and possibly drugged) him when he blacked out, back in 1981.

The allegations come from Scott R. Brunton, who told THR that he got to know Takei in the late 70s and early 80s, developing a casual friendship. After Brunton broke up with his boyrfiend, he says Takei invited him out for dinner and to go to the theatre. While the actor was initially consoling, eventually they ended up at his house for a drink.

Brunton says, “We have the drink and he asks if I would like another. And I said sure. So, I have the second one, and then 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. I came to and said, ‘What are you doing?!’ I said, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ He goes, ‘You need to relax. I am just trying to make you comfortable. Get comfortable.’ And I said, ‘No. I don’t want to do this.’ And I pushed him off and he said, ‘OK, fine.’ And I said I am going to go and he said, ‘If you feel you must. You’re in no condition to drive.’ I said, ‘I don’t care I want to go.’ So I managed to get my pants up and compose myself and I was just shocked. I walked out and went to my car until I felt well enough to drive home, and that was that.”

Brunton says he felt betrayed and angry, and for a long time wanted to confront Takei about it. He also says he considered going public before, but thought, “Who’s going to believe me? It’s my word against his.”

Takei has now responded to the allegations, saying on Facebook, “I’m writing to respond to the accusations made by Scott R. Brunton. 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.’

Some have since pointed to some ambiguous, possibly comical comments he made on Howard Stern recently concerning his behaviour in the past (see the video below). However, he has also made several statements condeming the harassment that is finally being talked about in Hollywood, including telling THR a couple of weeks ago, “Men who improperly harass or assault do not do so because they are gay or straight — that is a deflection. They do so because they have the power, and they chose to abuse it.” [Read more…]

In the last few years George Takei has become one of the gay world’s elder statesmen, using his celebrity to speak out for equality and LGBT rights. It’s easy to forget therefore that it wasn’t until 2005 that he came out publicly, decades after he first found fame with Star Trek.

Takei is currently starring in the Broadway musical Allegiance, which is based on his own family’s experiences during World War II, where as Japanese-Americans they were put into internment camps. To tie in with that he’s been talking to SiriusXM Progress, where he addressed why he waited so long to come out, not just publicly but also to many who knew him intimately.

He says, “My father told me about American democracy. And he said you have to be actively engaged in the political process to make our democracy work. So I’ve been doing that my entire life. Civil rights movement. The peace movement during the Viet Nam conflict. The movement to get an apology and redress for Japanese-Americans. But I was silent on that one issue that was closest to me.”

He adds, “I wanted to be an actor. And if I wanted that career, I had to be closeted. Because when I was a teenager, there was a heartthrob named Tab Hunter. People today might not recognize that name. He was a blond, stunningly handsome boy next door. All American movie star guy. Every other movie coming from Warner Brothers studio starred Tab Hunter. But Confidential magazine exposed him as gay. And suddenly he faded.”

It seems his relationship with his father was instrumental in both his career and why he remained closeted. “I had convinced my father to let me pursue this career, and I passionately wanted it,” he says. “And here was this conflict in me and I hadn’t shared it with my father. And it was excruciating to always have your guard up. Particularly because being an actor you’re public and visible. I could be seen coming out of a gay bar. Who could have seen me?…So you’re always on guard. You’re always, you know, insecure. And that affected my life very much. And it was such a relief to be out and not be looking over your shoulder, tightly gripped all the time.”