On Monday, former Star Trek actor George Takei posted a deceptive quasi-apology for a recent resurfaced interview with shock-jock Howard Stern in which Takei bragged about grabbing hesitant and “skittish” men by the penis in an effort to “persuade” them into sex.
And, yes, this would be the same Takei who was, and still is, morally outraged over President Donald Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood tape in which Trump bragged about women letting him grab them “by the p****.”
In the apology posted via Facebook, Takei suggests his comments were merely comedic and taken “out of context.”
“Many have raised concern over a back-and-forth between Howard Stern and myself, where we joked about me touching men during my Star Trek days fifty years ago,” wrote Takei. “Out of context, I agree that the joke was distasteful, and I’m very sorry he and I made fun out of a serious matter.”
Pulling a Kevin Spacey of sorts, Takei invoked his gayness to rationalize his remarks.
“For decades, I have played the part of a ‘naughty gay grandpa’ when I visit Howard’s show, a caricature I now regret,” he said. “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,” closed Takei.
But Stern was not egging on Takei here, as he suggests. In fact, Stern gave Takei numerous outs as the conversation unfolded, none of which were taken by Takei.
Here’s the exchange, as reported by The Daily Wire on Monday:
“Did you ever grab anyone by the c*** against their will?” Stern asked Takei, more than once.
After deafening silence, the actor laughed and said, “Uh oh!”
Stern, continually trying to give Takei an out, asked again: “You never sexually harassed anyone…?”
After Stern laughs awkwardly, he asked again: “Have you?”
Takei laughed yet again, but offered no reply.
The Star Trek alum then explained that he grabbed hesitant men “by the c***” in order to “persuade” them into sex.
“Some people that are kind of … umm … skittish or maybe … um … afraid and you’re trying to persuade…” he said.
“It wasn’t at work,” rationalized Takei, suggesting it was never about “power” and therefore okay. “It was either in my home ― they came to my home.”
Stern asked if Takei gave the men “a gentle squeeze on the balls.”
“More than gentle,” responded the actor.
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