A report published in the Observer puts into question widely disseminated allegations against George Takei that he assaulted his date and laced his cocktail with drugs.
Author Shane Snow, who wrote a chapter about the actor for his book Dream Teams: Working Together Without Falling Apart, looked closer at the accusations over a period of months.
The allegations by model Scott Brunton were originally reported in The Hollywood Reporter in November and then repeated by several news outlets including AsAmNews which published Takei’s strong denial.
Snow noticed that Brunton did not mention being drugged by Takei until two days after the original story from The Hollywood Reporter. He also noticed that in some media interviews, Brunton mentions being groped by Takei and in others, he does not.
Snow also pointed out that no other accusers have come forward since Brunton’s allegations, unlike other high profile allegations against Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein.
Brunton mentioned a former boyfriend, Jay Vanulk, could collaborate his story, but when Snow interviewed Vanulk, he had no such memory.
“I know that we had met George Takei, but that’s about all,” Vanulk said. He says if Brunton told him anything about Takei it wasn’t anything dramatic enough to remember. Vanulk also said he talked to Brunton’s ex-fiancee who also doesn’t remember anything about an assault.
Snow also interviewed toxicogists who cast doubt on whether Brunton’s drink was really spiked.
“The most likely cause is not drug-related,” said Lewis Nelson, the director of medical toxicology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “It sounds like postural hypotension, exacerbated by alcohol.”
Snow pressed Brunton on whether Takei had really groped him.
“You know…probably…He was clearly on his way to…to…to going somewhere.”
“So…you don’t remember him touching your genitals?”
Brunton said he did not remember any touching.
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