Anastasia Taneie, who used to be an extra on the hit HBO series, claimed that Piven 'grabbed her breasts and genitals in a dark hallway,' adding that the Emmy winner 'pushed her up against a wall.'
- Nov 24, 2017
AceShowbiz - Another woman has come forward with a new sexual harassment allegation against "Entourage" alum Jeremy Piven. The woman, who used to work as an extra on the hit HBO series, alleged that the Ari Gold depicter sexually harassed her on the set.
In a report published by BuzzFeed News, Anastasia Taneie shared she was in her early twenties when the alleged sexual harassment occurred, adding that it was in April 2009. Taneie, now 30, claimed that Piven "grabbed her breasts and genitals in a dark hallway," adding that the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor "pushed her up against a wall."
"I was scared at the time nobody was going to believe me," Taneie opened up. "I didn't want to make a scene. I just wanted to go home."
In her account, Piven allegedly followed her during a filming break on location at a theater in downtown L.A. Another background actor, Araceli Giacoman, said that she was also among women whom Piven had approached. Giacoman revealed, "Then he said something quietly to Anastasia and they walked away, and he took her away. It looked dark down there."
Piven was said to be telling Taneie that he and his manager wanted to discuss something with her, but he all of sudden grabbed her and pushed her against the wall instead. Taneie revealed that he began groping her breasts and private areas and stopped when an assistant director happened to walk by.
The actor later asked the AD to remove Taneie, claiming that she came onto him. The site reportedly reached out to five ADs who worked in the sixth season of the series. Two of them didn't respond, one refused to give a comment and the rest stopped responding after making initial contact.
According to Giacoman, Taneie looked "a little distraught," "scared" and "shaken" when she returned to the room for extras. Andy Lobo, a fellow extra, added that Taneie returned while crying and told him what happened. Taneie's mom, who asked to remain anonymous, claimed that her daughter "called me frantic with what Jeremy Piven had done to her." She went on saying, "He cornered her. She was crying on the phone."
Piven denied the allegations though, saying, "Let me be absolutely clear, this simply did not happen." He continued saying to the site, "I would never force myself on a woman. I cannot speak as to why a person would create a story like this."
His rep then issued a statement which read, "Mr. Piven denies the situation falsely described. It did not happen. Mr. Piven took and passed a polygraph test to that effect. HBO has confirmed, with a public statement, that there has never been a single complaint about Mr. Piven arising from the production of 'Entourage', or otherwise."
His rep later dubbed Taneie "not credible," before adding, "It is understood that Anastasia Taneie has various aliases, and is a/k/a Anastasia Sotomayor, and a/k/a Anastasia Kisling, who is reported to have been arrested for felony burglary and spent time in jail involving a scam to rip-off and harm another man, in which she was alleged to have gotten the victim to go out on a date with her while her accomplices burglarized his home."
The statement also accused Taneie of being "recruited by porn actress Ms. Bellamar [Ariane Bellamar] to make accusation against Mr. Piven." His rep concluded, "Given all the foregoing, this person is not a reliable or credible source. Mr. Piven, on the other hand, passed a polygraph test confirming the allegations are baseless and continues to maintain his innocence."
When asked for a comment, HBO said in a statement, "We reviewed our records and did not receive any complaints against Jeremy Piven on 'Entourage'. HBO takes sexual harassment very seriously and we make it a priority to ensure that everyone experiences a safe and comfortable work environment."
Taneie is the latest woman who accused the "Wisdom of the Crowd" star after reality TV personality/actress Ariane Bellamar, "Longmire" actress Cassidy Freeman and advertising executive Tiffany Bacon Scourby. Piven "unequivocally" denied all "the appaling allegations."
