Yahoo News George Takei regrets "distasteful" Stern Show behaviour
George Takei is publicly apologising for his past "distasteful" behaviour on The Howard Stern Show, following separate allegations of sexual misconduct.
The former Star Trek actor said he was "shocked and bewildered" over the weekend when he was publicly accused of groping a man back in 1981. Takei denies those allegations.
Since then, a Howard Stern Show clip from October resurfaced in which the host asked Takei if he'd ever "hassled or grabbed" anyone while they were discussing the recent visibility of sexual harassment claims in the media.
Listen to the NSFW clip below:
"Some people are kind of skittish, or maybe afraid," Takei chuckled in response to Stern's question, adding: "You're trying to persuade."
"Do we need to call the police?" Stern interjected, albeit in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
Takei has now publicly apologised for his back-and-forth with Stern, insisting in a Facebook blog that his response to the offending question was meant in jest.
"For decades, I have played the part of a 'naughty gay grandpa' when I visit Howard's show, a caricature I now regret," he wrote. "But I want to be clear: I have never forced myself upon someone during a date. Sometimes my dates were the initiators, and sometimes I was.
"It was always by mutual consent. I see now that that it has come across poorly in the awkward sketch, and I apologize for playing along with Howard's insinuation.
"Non-consensual acts are anathema to me and my personal code of conduct, and I would never do something against anyone's will, period."
Takei is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show, and served as the Sirius XM programme's official announcer for several years.
The 80-year-old actor previously dismissed the aforementioned separate sexual misconduct allegations against him as a "he said / he said situation" over the weekend.
"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," he added.
Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of sexual violence. If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland's helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
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