George Takei, former Star Trek actor, accused of sexual assault
The Oregon man who claims he was sexually assaulted by George Takei decades ago says, at this point, he simply wants an apology from the actor.
Scott Brunton, of Bandon, recently publicly accused the former Star Trek actor of drugging him in 1981 and attempting to take his clothes off without his consent. Takei has denied the allegations.
Brunton told KGW he decided to come forward after Takei criticized fellow actor Kevin Spacey over sexual assault claims against Spacey. Brunton called Takei a hypocrite.
“It was the epitome of the pot calling the kettle black, what he was doing. And I had to call him out on it,” Brunton said. “And even though I’m gay and I understand he’s done a lot of good for the LGBTQ community, I just felt I had to say something. Because George Takei has a dark side.”
Brunton, a Portland native, said that he met Takei at a bar in Los Angeles while pursuing a modeling and acting career there. The two kept in touch, Brunton says, and eventually met up for dinner in 1981. Brunton was in his early 20’s at the time. While having drinks at Takei’s condo one night, Brunton says he passed out. When he woke up, Takei was on top of him, trying to take off his clothes. Brunton says he told Takei to stop before leaving the condo. Brunton told KGW he’s convinced that Takei slipped something in his drink that night.
Brunton moved back to Portland after the incident and later lived in Lake Oswego. He’s since retired with his husband in the coastal city of Bandon.
On a statement posted to his Facebook page, Takei denied the claims. “I’m writing to respond to the accusations made by Scott R. Brunton. I want to assure you all that I am as shocked and bewildered at these claims as you must feel reading them,” wrote Takei. “The events he describes back in the 1980s simply did not occur, and I do not know why he has claimed them now. I have wracked my brain to ask if I remember Mr. Brunton, and I cannot say I do.”
Takei added that he takes the claims seriously and stated that “non-consensual acts are so antithetical to my values and my practices.”
Brunton, meanwhile, says Takei should simply apologize for what happened. “I would be more than willing to accept that,” Brunton said. “And [I] hope that he would maybe get in to some form of counseling. Because there’s a black and a white side to George Takei. There is a dark side. And he needs to address that.”
