Jeffrey Tambor's Ex Assistant Breaks Silence on Sexual Misconduct Allegations; Actor's Rep Responds

The former assistant who accused actor Jeffrey Tambor of sexual misconduct is now speaking out about her allegations, sparking reps for the "Transparent" star to comment.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Van Barnes, 42, opens up about the alleged abuse she suffered from Tambor while working on Amazon's "Transparent." Barnes served as the actor's personal assistant for two years before coming forward with allegations of abuse from her former boss.

While working with Tambor, Barnes, who is trans, said she "made several attempts to address Mr. Tambor's inappropriate behavior with both executives of the show as well as with Mr. Tambor's personal management team at The Burstein Co., all to no avail."

"Mr. Tambor's assertion that these accusations were never revealed or discussed with him is completely ludicrous," her statement goes on to say. "In January 2017, when it was clear to me that things would not change with Mr. Tambor, I quit working as his assistant."

After the #MeToo movement began to make headlines, Barnes took to Facebook on October and detailed her allegations, though she never mentioned Tambor by name. THR notes that during her employment with Tambor, she signed a nondisclosure agreement.

Not long after, "Transparent" costar Trace Lysette, Barnes' former roommate who is also trans, accused Tambor of sexual harassment, sparking Amazon to launch an internal investigation the show's main star.

"An outside legal investigative firm specializing in employment-related harassment was hired, and they conducted a thorough, three-month-long investigation," Barnes told THR. "The investigation was extremely professional, exhaustingly thorough and all-encompassing."

Earlier this month, following the investigation, Amazon announced "Transparent" would continue without Tambor and the show's creator Jill Soloway expressed their "great respect and admiration" for Barnes and Lysette.

Tambor has always denied the allegations and said he was "profoundly disappointed" regarding his exit from the show.

"I am profoundly disappointed in Amazon's handling of these false accusations against me," the Emmy-winning actor said. "I am even more disappointed in Jill Soloway's unfair characterization of me as someone who would ever cause harm to any of my fellow cast mates."

He added: "In our four-year history of working together on this incredible show, these accusations have NEVER been revealed or discussed directly with me or anyone at Amazon. Therefore, I can only surmise that the investigation against me was deeply flawed and biased toward the toxic politicized atmosphere that afflicted our set. As I have consistently stated, I deeply regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone and I will continue to vehemently defend myself. I also deeply regret that this ground-breaking show, which changed so many lives, is now in jeopardy. That, to me, is the biggest heartbreak."

Barnes pushed back against Tambor's comments when speaking to THR, saying his response "is an insult to the numerous people he has worked with through the years who were forced to participate in an investigation created by his own actions."

"Mr. Tambor's lengthy abuse and harassment of me continues to haunt me and is a clear indication of how we got to this point," she added. "I take no celebration in the firing of Mr. Tambor from 'Transparent,' because this man's actions have jeopardized many people's jobs, especially many transgender people struggling to find work in Hollywood.

"I do however believe it is just. He has done this to himself," Barnes said.

She later added: "All of these events are completely unfortunate, and I am forever changed by this. This has and continues to be a long road toward recovery and forward movement. It is highly unfortunate that Mr. Tambor has chosen to lash out at myself, Jill Soloway, and others, rather than accept accountability for his actions."

Tambor's manager Joannie Burstein responded to Barnes' statement to THR, telling the publication she and her "associates and I spoke to Van Barnes on an almost daily basis when she was Jeffrey Tambor's assistant."

"At no time did she ever complain or allude to me or anyone in my company that Jeffrey Tambor sexually harassed or sexually abused her in any way," she added. "Had any of us ever received a complaint of that nature, we would have addressed it immediately."