Despite Sexual Harassment Accusations, Jeffrey Tambor Has ‘No Plans’ To Leave ‘Transparent’

Remember when Jeffrey Tambor said he was leaving Transparent? Apparentlyhe’s not.

After the actor’s former assistant, Van Barnes, and series co-star Trace Lysette came forward about Tambor’s boundary-crossing behavior, which ranged from lewd comments and propositioning to groping and legal threats, Tambor told Deadline that “I don’t see how I can return to Transparent.”

Most news outlets, including this one (hi), took this to mean that Tambor was leaving the Amazon series. That would’ve been cool. I mean, remember that time he told Hollywood that they needed to start casting trans actors in trans roles while literally accepting an Emmy for playing a trans role? Fuck this guy!

Anyway, that’s apparently not the case. On Wednesday, a representative for Tambor told The New York Times that the actor is not leaving Transparent anytime soon. While reporting on the “agonizing limbo” in which the Amazon series now finds itself, Vivian Yee and Taffy Brodesser-Akner were told that “Mr. Tambor has no plans to quit.” Dude! Know when to leave!

On the bright side, Jeffrey Tambor might not have a choice in the matter. While Amazon Studios has already picked up the other core cast members’ contract options for season 5, Deadline reports that they have not yet done the same for Tambor. Deadline also says that Transparent’s writers have begun crafting season 5 storylines that do not include Tambor’s character, Maura Pfefferman.

Not to, like, casually advocate for the wanton disposability of LGBTQ characters and the use of a woman’s death to catalyze other characters’ emotional arcs, but fucking kill off Moppa! Recenter the show on the ol’ Pfefferman house, where Alexandra Billings’ Davina and Trace Lysette’s Shea have temporarily moved in to help figure out to do with Maura’s stuff. Maybe Alexandra Grey’s Elizah from the season 3 premiere shows up on their doorstep and is like “Hi, can I have a real role this time?” and they’re all like “yeah.” Imagine the non-Tamboral possibilities.