The George Takei-Howard Stern Interview Seems Otherworldly After Allegations Surface [Listen]

George Takei joked with Howard Stern in an NSFW interview about grabbing other men by the genitals during a recent appearance on Stern’s Sirius XM radio show that is now attracting a lot of attention given the allegations against the actor.

Takei, 80, portrayed Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek TV series in the late 1960s and later in six movies in the sci-fi franchise. As first revealed by the Hollywood Reporter, a former actor and model, then 23, has accused Takei of groping his crotch in 1981 at Takei’s Hollywood condo after the younger man says he passed out. In response, Takei, who is the latest in an ever-growing list of celebrities accused of sex-related misconduct and similar tawdry activities, has denied the sexual assault accusations, insisting that the incident never occurred, and that the claims left him “shocked and bewildered.”

THR describes Takei as “an author and activist and [who] has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights,” in addition to his work in the entertainment industry.

While on the Stern show last month, the host alluded to the Harvey Weinstein scandal engulfing Hollywood as well as the irony attendant (as he sees it) to Donald Trump being in the White House after he famously engaged in so-called locker room talk on the leaked Access Hollywood tape.

Against that backdrop, when Stern asked if Takei, who is an aggressive foe of President Trump, has ever sexually harassed anyone, the iconic Star Trek actor hesitated noticeably and then laughed before answering, as chronicled by Mediaite and other news outlets.

“Some people that are kind of… um… skittish…or maybe… um… afraid, and you’re trying to persuade…”

In addition to noting that the persuasion might have been “more than gentle,” Takei stressed to Stern and co-host Robin Quivers that he never used the employment scenario for romantic advantage (“it didn’t involve power over the other”), and that any encounters occurred at his home rather than in the workplace. In a further humorous manner, he also seemed to suggest that he had a consensual encounter with an extra on the Star Trek set who, in the script, was portraying a Star Fleet underling.

According to MovieWeb, George Takei allegedly “creeped out” some staffers on The Simpsons when he was voicing some episodes a few years ago. As his many fans know, Takei is gifted with a distinctive speaking voice.

Listen to the clip from the George Takei-Howard Stern very NSFW interview below, which may or may not be revealing, and draw your own conclusions.

[Featured Image by Phil McCarten/Invision/AP Images]