Jeffrey Tambor, who played Maura Pfefferman on Amazon’s “Transparent,” has exited the series amid sexual harassment allegations against the actor. 
 
 “Playing Maura Pfefferman on ‘Transparent’ has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life,” the Emmy-winning actor said in a statement to Variety. “What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago.” 
 
 “I’ve already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue,” Tambor said. “Given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don’t see how I can return to ‘Transparent.’” 
 
 Tambor was accused of sexual harassment by his former personal assistant, a trans woman named Van Barnes, in a private Facebook post on Nov. 8, causing Amazon to open an investigation into the allegations. On Thursday, guest star Trace Lysette came forward with further alleged instances of inappropriate behavior. 
 
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 “I am aware that a former disgruntled assistant of mine has made a private post implying that I had acted in an improper manner toward her,” Tambor said in a statement obtained by Variety at the time of Barnes’ allegations. “I adamantly and vehemently reject and deny any and all implication and allegation that I have ever engaged in any improper behavior toward this person or any other person I have ever worked with. I am appalled and distressed by this baseless allegation.” 
 
 Tambor released a second statement following Lysette’s allegations. 
 
 “For the past four years, I’ve had the huge privilege — and huge responsibility – of playing Maura Pfefferman, a transgender woman, in a show that I know has had an enormous, positive impact on a community that has been too long dismissed and misunderstood. Now I find myself accused of behavior that any civilized person would condemn unreservedly,” the statement reads. 
 
 “I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to work with. I can be volatile and ill-tempered, and too often I express my opinions harshly and without tact. But I have never been a predator – ever,” Tambor continued. “I am deeply sorry if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being sexually aggressive or if I ever offended or hurt anyone. But the fact is, for all my flaws, I am not a predator and the idea that someone might see me in that way is more distressing than I can express.” 
 
 The team behind “Transparent” had already begun planning a way to continue the show without Tambor once the allegations broke. No final decision about next season has been made by Amazon. 
 
 The writers room, led by new showrunner Jill Gordon, is still in the process of planning Season 5, which is set to debut next year. “There’s momentum on the inside to continue without Jeffrey Tambor,” a source told Variety on Friday. 
 
 Amazon declined to comment. Deadline first reported the news of Tambor’s exit. ||||| EXCLUSIVE: Facing two accusations of sexual harassment by members of the Transparent team that he has strongly denied, Jeffrey Tambor today has decided not to return to the Amazon series. 
 
 “Playing Maura Pfefferman on Transparent has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life,” the Emmy winning actor told Deadline on Sunday. “What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago,” Tambor added of his role as the lead on the Jill Soloway created show. 
 
 “I’ve already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue,” Tambor asserted as well. “Given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don’t see how I can return to Transparent.” 
 
 While a stunner on one level, this move by Golden Globe winner Tambor comes as the show itself was seemingly gearing up to shuffle him off the show. 
 
 As Deadline was first to report on November 14, since the first allegation against Tambor was made by his former assistant and transgender actress Van Barnes earlier this month, there have been discussions about writing the actor’s transgender Maura character out of the show for the upcoming fifth season. With a tiny bit of wiggle room for what may be legal reasons, it seems today that Jeffrey Tambor just made those talks a reality for the writers’ room. 
 
 Amazon 
 
 Even before the first claims, Tambor’s option for a Season 5 had not actually been picked up, sources tell Deadline. Amazon is currently investigation both allegations and has been speaking to Soloway, members of the production and Tambor. Neither Amazon nor Soloway could be reached by Deadline for a response to Tambor’s announcement. 
 
 Yesterday at a panel in Hollywood, Soloway said she was “not able to say anything at all” about the accusations because of the on-going investigation. 
 
 This stunning shift by Tambor comes after transgender Transparent semi-regular Trace Lysette alleged on November 16 that the actor made lewd, sexual and unwelcomed remarks to her repeatedly while they worked together. The Blunt Talk actress also said that Tambor got “physical” with her on at least one occasion. In clear reference to Tambor, Lysette recommended that Amazon and Soloway “remove the problem and let the show go on.” 
 
 Saying he was “deeply sorry if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being sexually aggressive,” Tambor also responded to the claims: “I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to work with. I can be volatile and ill-tempered, and too often I express my opinions harshly and without tact. But I have never been a predator – ever.” 
 
 Less than a day after those claims by Lysette, Transparent writer and producer Our Lady J became the first and only member of the series to publicly back both accusers. Thanking Lysette for her “leadership,” the transgender scribe added, “we cannot let trans content be taken down by a single cis man.” 
 
 Transparent‘s fourth season launched on the streaming service from Jeff Bezos’ company on September 22. While not formally announced, a fifth season of the Gaby Hoffmann, Jay Duplass, Amy Landecker, and Judith Light co-starring show is expected next year from Amazon 
 
 Tambor is repped by the Gersh Agency and the Burstein Company.
– Jeffrey Tambor is continuing to deny accusations of sexual harassment—but he says he won't be back for another season of Transparent. The 73-year-old starred in four seasons of the Amazon web series as a retired professor undergoing gender transition. "Playing Maura Pfefferman on Transparent has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life," Tambor tells Deadline. "What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago." Last week, transgender actress Trace Lysette became the second person to accuse Tambor of harassment. "I've already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue," Tambor says. But "given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don't see how I can return." Variety reports that even before Tambor announced his departure, writers were working on ways to continue the series for a fifth season without his character. Lysette, a regular guest star on the show, suggested the move last week, saying producers should "remove the problem and let the show go on."