George Takei says he “played the part of a ‘naughty gay grandpa’” on Howard Stern
In the multitude of current sexual assault and harassment accusations, perhaps none is more disappointing (so far) than the accusation against George Takei. The 80-year-old, out, married former Star Trek star is well-known for his progressive posts on Facebook and Twitter, where he has millions of followers. So his many fans were understandably shook when the following news broke on Saturday: Former model Scott Brunton told The Hollywood Reporter that Takei had sexually assaulted him in 1981, groping him while he was inebriated and in and out of consciousness.
Takei quickly posted a denial on Twitter, but soon after his October 2017 appearance on Howard Stern started to circulate. In that conversation, Stern brings up the accusations against Harvey Weinstein, and asks Takei if he ever “grabbed anybody by the cock against their will.” Takei pauses uncomfortably and laughs, and then describes some “people that are kind of skittish, or maybe, um, uh, afraid, and you’re trying to persuade.” (Even Howard Stern responds, “Do we need to call the police?”)
Now Takei takes to Facebook to address that interview, saying that he was playing the part of the “‘naughty gay grandpa,’ a caricature I now regret.” And he maintains his denial: “I have never forced myself upon someone during a date.… Non-consensual acts are anathema to me and my personal code of conduct, and I would never do something against anyone’s will, period.”