As claims grow, ‘Entourage’ actor says give alleged sexual predators ‘benefit of doubt’

 

Hollywood actor and producer Jeremy Piven said Friday the recent whirlpool of allegations of sexual misconduct against notable names in various fields are putting careers in “jeopardy without a hearing, due process or evidence”.

Back in October, Ariane Bellamar — Piven’s co-actress on Entourage — had accused Piven of groping her twice, once on the set and once “at the mansion” and forcefully touching her in an inappropriate manner when she tried leaving.

CBS, which Piven is currently working (Wisdom of the Crowd) with, had said it was "looking into the matter".

After the third woman stepped up with allegations against him, Piven — known for big names such as Entourage, Serendipity, and Cars — issued a statement via Instagram, saying, “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."

The producer also said he was ready to take the polygraph test to prove his innocence, calling the claims “absolutely false and completely fabricated”.