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Jeremy Piven has finally spoken on his sexual misconduct controversy, which forced him into a five-year hiatus. In 2017 and 2018, multiple women accused Piven of sexual abuse, harassment, and assault.
The actor has maintained his innocence of all sexual misconduct allegations, saying they never happened. The scandal affected his film career, as Piven was fired by the former CBS network chairman, Les Moonves.
Piven also went on a five-year hiatus from the industry and has returned with a new film, “Sweetwater.” Several former accusers have shared their disappointment at his welcome back to Hollywood.
Read on to find out more.
Jeremy Piven Addresses His Sexual Misconduct Scandal
During a recent interview with Frank Buckley of KTLA, Piven finally spoke on the 2017/2018 sexual misconduct allegations that put a dent in his career. The actor shared that the scandal forced him to “take ownership of his life” because he realized he “had nothing to hide.”
Piven said, per Daily Mail, “When you’re on stage doing stand-up, you’re in your truth. And because I’m in my truth, I have nothing to hide. And so you can’t look for justice… and spend your life pining away at that.” The “Old School” actor shared that he started exploring stand-up comedy, spent more time with his mom, and meditated to create more “balance” in his life.
He also said, “The great Martin Luther King said no lie could last forever. I know your producers or someone is probably looking for a soundbite, but it’s not about that. It’s about taking ownership of your life, and when you know your truth, you can get up on a stage anywhere when you have nothing to hide.”
Multiple Women Accused Jeremy Piven Of Sexual Misconduct
In 2017 and 2018, multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were made public against Piven, which reportedly turned him into an “emotional wreck.” The first allegation was made on Twitter by actress Ariane Bellamar, who said Piven had sexually harassed and assaulted her.
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Bellamar claimed the incidents occurred twice, first in his trailer on the set of “Entourage” and again at the famous Playboy mansion. Shortly after her accusations went viral, actress Cassidy Freeman made an Instagram post claiming that Piven had exhibited “predatory behavior” to her when she was still “too young.”
Bellamar and Freeman’s accusations opened the tap as more women went public with sexual assault and harassment claims against the actor. They were advertising executive Tiffany Bacon Scourby and porn actress Isis Taylor, who’d interacted with Piven on separate occasions.
He Denied The Allegations At The Time
At the time, Piven emphatically denied that he’d ever assaulted or harassed any women, calling the allegations “absolutely false and completely fabricated.” When Bellamar’s accusations first went viral on Twitter, the “Entourage” actor released a statement denying that he’d harassed her sexually.
According to Daily Mail, the statement read, “I unequivocally deny the appalling allegations being peddled about me. It did not happen. It takes a great deal of courage for victims to come forward with their histories, and I hope that the allegations about me that didn’t happen do not detract from stories that should be heard.”
Jeremy Piven Is Resuming His Film Career
The sexual misconduct allegations deeply affected Piven as they came in the heat of the #MeToo era, where women called out their abusers, especially in Hollywood. He was fired from the drama “Wisdom Of The Crowd” by former CBS network chairman Les Moonves.
Not long after Piven, Moonves was fired from the network for his allegations of sexual misconduct. After his firing, Piven took a five-year hiatus from the film industry and is now returning with a role in “Sweetwater.” The film is a biography of Nat Clifton, aka, Sweetwater, the first African-American player in the NBA.
Despite Hollywood welcoming Piven back with open arms, his accusers haven’t forgotten about their experience and the trauma. Three women who accused him then recently spoke to Rolling Stone magazine. They shared their disappointment that Piven was able to avoid being held accountable by taking the hiatus and said they’d decided to move on.
