Jeremy Piven claims sexual assault allegations against him 'absolutely false'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Now that a third woman has come forward with allegations of sexual assault allegedly perpetrated by actor Jeremy Piven, the star has taken to social media to give a lengthy response denying the allegations.
As more and more powerful people in Hollywood see accusations of sexual harassment and assault brought against them, Jeremy Piven took steps to affirm his innocence, taking to Twitter on Thursday night to clear the air as best he can.
“Let me begin by saying that the accusations against me are absolutely false and completely fabricated. I would never force myself on a woman. Period,” the star wrote on Twitter. “I have offered to take a polygraph to support my innocence. I keep asking myself, ‘How does one prove something didn’t happen?’”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The former “Entourage” star then explained his frustration about wanting to believe victims who come forward with these kinds of stories while being subject to, what he calls, false accusations. He concluded his public statement with a warning about the current climate in Hollywood with regards to accusations.
“We seem to be entering dark times—allegations are being printed as facts and lives are being put in jeopardy without a hearing, due process or evidence. I hope we can give people the benefit of a doubt before we rush to judgement.
“Continuing to tear each other down and destroy careers based on mere allegations is not productive on any level. I hope we can use this moment to begin a constructive dialogue on these issues, which are real and need to be addressed.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
As previously reported, Piven was accused of groping and forcing himself on actress Ariana Bellamar, who tweeted accusations directly at the star last week. Since then, Piven has denied completely any and all allegations of sexual assault to the press. However, Thursday’s tweet marks his first real public comment on the accusations.