Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — The man who accused George Takei of sexual misconduct a few months ago told ABC News Friday afternoon that despite a recent report to the contrary, he is standing by his original story.
Scott Brunton said that although the The Observer reported that he’d walked back his claim that he was groped by Takei in one night in 1981, he specifically remembers waking up to find the “Star Trek” actor on top of him, trying to remove his underwear.
Though he does not specifically recall Takei touching his genitals, he says he cannot be certain that it did not happen, as he was unconscious for a period of time when they were alone.
“In my mind, there are so many different definitions of groping — there are different degrees,” he said. “When you’re yanking on someone’s front and back of their underwear, you can’t avoid contact.”
The Observer author also noted several inconsistencies in interviews Brunton had done, though Brunton explained that some details, such as his weight at that time, merely got away from him, while others, like whether he and Takei ever met again, could be chalked up to a miscommunication.
The question of whether Brunton remembered being groped had been a key point to the Observer author in evaluating Brunton’s claim of sexual misconduct, in part because toxicologists he consulted concluded that Brunton hadn’t been drugged. In the end, the author had characterized the behavior described by Brunton as “making too bold a move on a date who, it turned out, just wanted to be friends.”
Takei, who’d denied molesting Brunton, tweeted the article shortly after its publication. His publicist referred to Takei’s statements on social media in light of Brunton’s new comments.
“As many of you know, this has been a very difficult period for myself and my husband Brad as we have dealt with the impact of these accusations, but we are happy to see that this nightmare is finally drawing to a close,” Takei wrote. “As I stated before, I do not remember Mr. Brunton or any of the events he described from 40 years ago, but I do understand that this was part of a very important national conversation that we as a society must have, painful as it might be.
“It is in that spirit that I want folks to know, despite what he has put us through, I do not bear Mr. Brunton any ill will, and I wish him peace,” he continued. “Brad and I are especially grateful for the many fans who stood by me throughout this ordeal. Your support kept us going, and we are so immensely thankful for you.”
Brunton, a former model, initially told The Hollywood Reporter that after he’d met Takei, now 81, at a bar, the actor invited him back to his home for a nightcap. There, he said, he became “disoriented and dizzy” after having two drinks, and it was then, he claimed, the actor fondled him.
“I came to and said, ‘What are you doing?!’ I said, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ He goes, ‘You need to relax. I am just trying to make you comfortable. Get comfortable.’ And I said, ‘No. I don’t want to do this.’ And I pushed him off, and he said, ‘OK, fine,'” Brunton said. “And I said, ‘I am going to go, and he said, ‘If you feel you must. You’re in no condition to drive.’ I said, ‘I don’t care I want to go.'”
Takei, who is best known for playing Hikaru Sulu on the original “Star Trek” television series, tweeted that he did not remember ever meeting Brunton, and “the events he describes back in the 1980s simply did not occur.”
“Right now it is a he said / he said situation, over alleged events nearly 40 years ago,” Takei wrote. “But 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.”
Brunton told ABC News that he does not understand Takei’s claim, and is hoping for an apology. He also wants to clear his own name.
“I have friends around the world, people I went to school with, basically calling me a liar,” he said. “It’s really, really disturbing.”
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