Jeremy Piven has “unequivocally” denied allegations of groping leveled by reality star Ariane Bellamar on Monday.
In his statement, Piven wrote that the incidents Bellamar described “did not happen” and that he hopes the allegations don’t detract from stories that “should be heard.”
The full statement reads: “I unequivocally deny the appalling allegations being peddled about me. It did not happen. It takes a great deal of courage for victims to come forward with their histories, and my hope is that the allegations about me that didn’t happen, do not detract from stories that should be heard.”
Bellamar accused the “Entourage” star of groping her in a tweet posted Monday using the hashtag #metoo.
“Hey [Jeremy Piven]!” she wrote. “‘Member when you cornered me in your trailer on the #Entourage set? ‘Member grabbing my boobies on the [couch] without asking??”
Bellamar continued that she tried to leave, but Piven allegedly “grabbed [her] by the ass, looked at [himself] in the mirror, and said what a ‘beautiful couple’ [they] made.”
Piven, who played Ari Gold on “Entourage,” won a Golden Globe and three Primetime Emmy Awards for his portrayal in the 2004 HBO series. Bellamar’s acting credits include “Suicide Squad” and “The Hangover Part III,” as well as a stint on reality series “Beverly Hills Nannies” in 2012.
Bellamar added in a third tweet that Piven had grabbed her breasts and buttocks in a separate incident at the Playboy Mansion.
She also implied that Piven had sent her “abusive, explicit” texts in a fourth tweet, warning him against trying to deny the accusations and writing “enough is ENOUGH.”
CBS’s statement reads, “We are aware of the media reports and are looking into the matter.” Piven currently stars on the network’s show “Wisdom of the Crowd,” which premiered earlier this month.
HBO also released a statement asserting that the network has a zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment and that they had not heard of any of any misbehavior from Piven towards Bellamar before Bellamar’s Tuesday allegations.
The statement in full reads: “Today, via the press reports, is the first we are hearing about Ariane Bellamar’s allegations concerning Jeremy Piven. Everyone at HBO and our productions is aware that zero tolerance for sexual harassment is our policy. Anyone experiencing an unsafe working environment has several avenues for making complaints that we take very seriously.”
Bellamar’s accusations are the latest in a wave of women and men coming forward with stories of sexual harassment and assault in the entertainment industry and beyond, triggered by the Harvey Weinstein scandal in which over 60 women accused the former mogul of harassment and inappropriate behavior dating back decades. The scandal erupted after a New York Times exposé on the producer that detailed eight instances in which he settled lawsuits from women who had accused him of sexual harassment, including Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan.
Variety has reached out to Piven and Bellamar’s reps for further comment.