Actor George Takei was accused of being a sexual predator based on weak evidence and lumped into a group of despicable men, including Harvey Weinstein. It seems the ignorant stereotype that gay men are sexual predators or pedophiles may have fueled the public’s acceptance of the story.
In November, Scott R. Brunton, a former model and actor, told
The Hollywood Reporter (THR) that Takei, then age 44, groped him in 1981 when he was 23. Brunton said he was at Takei’s condo when the actor pulled down his pants while he was barely conscious. In the midst of the #MeToo movement, the story went viral.
A recent article in the
Observer has uncovered flaws in Brunton’s allegations against Takei. He acknowledged there are some inconsistencies in his story. For instance, Brunton said he doesn’t remember Takei touching his genitals, as told in the THR article, which is a detail that brought the story into the realm of sexual assault.
Shane Snow of the Observer noted that when Brunton made his rounds in the media circuit, his story began to incorporate scattered recollections, including that Takei had drugged him.
“Brunton didn’t appear to mention being drugged until two days after the THR story, following Takei’s public denial,”
Snow wrote.
“And then, in a CNN interview, he confusingly didn’t recount any groping.”
In a prior interview, Brunton said, “I know unequivocally he spiked my drink.”
But he told the Observer, “I thought it was just I was drunk … I didn’t even start thinking that until years later when they started talking about date rape drugs — and then Cosby and all.”
At age 81, Takei, an LGBTQ activist who has millions of followers on social media and was endeared for his role in “Star Trek,” has denied the allegations. However, his publishing partners still deserted him and “Saturday Night Live” made fun of him in a skit.
He is also a staunch critic of President Donald Trump and his administration.
In December, Donald Trump Jr. jumped on the bandwagon against the actor, saying that he was sexually assaulting children, reinforcing the stereotype about homosexuality and pedophilia:
Wrong again Georgie… I guess you have a bit more free time to read #fakenews now that it’s a bit tougher to ply kids with alcohol to assault them You know with all the added scrutiny. https://t.co/xUbvbfhMxN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 10, 2017
According to
a Pew survey, 7 in 10 conservative Americans believe homosexuality should be discouraged by society. The lack of acceptance is strongest among that group.
Takei said on Twitter that the Observer article is helping to bring an end to “this nightmare.”
As many of you know, this has been a very difficult period for myself and my husband Brad as we have dealt with the impact of these accusations, but we are happy to see that this nightmare is finally drawing to a close. https://t.co/nHCjnebCBO
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 25, 2018
In a follow-up
tweet, Takei said he wishes Brunton peace.
