He’s already been accused of sexual assault and misconduct by several other women in the entertainment industry, but on the Thanksgiving holiday last night, a new report came out from yet another woman accusing actor Jeremy Piven of groping her, too.
The woman — Anastasia Taneie — was a background actor on the set of Entourage in April, 2009, when Piven allegedly pulled her into a dark hallway and forcefully pushed her up against a wall, grabbing her breasts and genitals against Taneie’s will.
Piven then allegedly told an assistant director that the background actor had come on to him, and ordered her to be removed from the set.
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Now 30 years old, Taneie has recounted all of this in explicit detail to BuzzFeed News.
She said (below):
“I was scared at the time nobody was going to believe me. I didn’t want to make a scene. I just wanted to go home. It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever experienced.”
According to Taneie, Piven had struck up a conversation with her and others during a filming break on location at a theater in downtown L.A., and at one point he said something quietly to Anastasia and led her down a dark hallway away from the group.
It was at that point, Taneie alleges, that Piven pinned her against a wall and began to grope her chest and genitals.
Other background actors around the set that day didn’t see the sexual assault itself, but otherwise confirm Taneie’s story and report that she was “distraught,” “scared,” and “shaken” when she returned to the holding room for extras after the incident.
Related: Piven So Shook He Took His Own Lie Detector Test…
Taneie didn’t report the incident at the time, now looking back and telling reporters (below):
“I was scared at the time nobody was going to believe me. I didn’t want to make a scene. I just wanted to go home.”
And HBO released their own statement trying to refute the claims against Piven by saying (below):
“We reviewed our records and did not receive any complaints against Jeremy Piven on Entourage. HBO takes sexual harassment very seriously and we make it a priority to ensure that everyone experiences a safe and comfortable work environment.”
Yeah… maybe that’d be somewhat believable with the reviewing of their “records” after the fact and all, but an actual casting agent who dealt with extras on set of Entourage between 2009 and 2011, Jason Rupe, remembers things quite a bit differently.
Rupe said that many of the women who worked on the show as background and extras never wanted to come back after their experiences being hassled so much by the male actors on set.
Related: Smallville Alum Accused Of Being Sex Cult Leader’s Right Hand Woman
Rupe remembered (below):
“[Men on the set] that were constantly giving them a hard time saying, ‘Hey, you’re cute,’ ├óΓé¼╦£Hey, you’re hot, ├óΓé¼╦£Hey, come back to my trailer.’ I do remember being quite frustrated at one point and even maybe telling one or two of the ADs, like, ‘Look, this shit’s gotta stop. These are great actresses that fit exactly what you’re looking for, but they don’t want to come back because they’re getting hassled a lot.'”
Wow.
Sounds like an awful place to work — and shame on HBO and the Entourage folks for making it that way.
As for these allegations… how many women is this that have now come forward against Piven???
Yeah…
[Image via FayesVision/WENN.]
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