Silicon Valley star TJ Miller hurled horrific abuse at transgender woman
SANTA MONICA, CA – DECEMBER 11: Actor/comedian T.J. Miller hosts the 22nd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on December 11, 2016 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Silicon Valley star TJ Miller sent a transgender woman a horrific abusive email that branded her a “man” and a “freak”.
Film critic Danielle Solzman had posted a screenshot of the abusive email from a famous actor to Twitter last year with the name of the sender redacted.
But this week she alleged it was sent by Miller, who starred as Erlich Bachman in the HBO sitcom Silicon Valley, after he faced a string of separate allegations of abuse and sexual harassment.
The email, sent the same year Miller had roles in blockbusters Deadpool and The Emoji Movie, was his surprising response to a friendly message from Ms Solzman suggesting he remove the words “tranny dumpster sex” from his website.
T.J. Miller (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
In response to the message from Ms Solzman, Miller branded her a “f**king asshole” and referred to her as “Daniel” repeatedly.
Miller wrote: “You have merely confirmed what I always knew… this pursuit of transgender identity is nothing more than an opportunity for you to distinguish yourself as someone who is special, but what is really special is how retarded it is that you would ever think to attack me or say that I’ve been offensive.
“Didn’t you used to think you were trying to be some sort of comedian? Didn’t you look towards the comedy and improvisation community for support?
“And now me, one of the only people who would respond, support and speak highly of you- you threw me shade? You call me offensive?
“Never contact me again you weird strange terrible man.”
(Photo by Polk/Getty Images for Comedy Central)
He added: “If you were bothered to look into anything that I’ve ever done you would find it not only have I had sex with transgender people, but I have donated widely to organizations that support their freedom.
“They like every other human being is consistently persecuted, Meant to feel lonely and attacked for their offenses to nature. You just joining the ranks and pretending to be offended and suddenly finding purpose only to f**king turn on me, how is that progressive.
“You’re not a transgender, you’re not a tranny- your [sic] a f**king asshole daniel. A f**king asshole.
“Don’t respond to this don’t ever contact me again and don’t think that just because you’re adopted something, that that thing allows you to then be rude and incorrect about your friends. Well. Those who used to be your friends.”
Solzman contiuned: “Wow. What f**king jerk. For so long I feel pity for you, felt sorry for you, and looked for ways that I could support you.
“”Well well well, look what you did. You always wanted to be little, to be a victim. Well you are now.”
He signed the email “your former friend”, adding: “Bye Daniel.”
Solzman this week confirmed Miller’s identity.
She wrote: “It’s safe to say that his career is over now. Nobody ever wants to be on the receiving end of this kind of transphobic abuse. This was the email that found its way to my inbox just one week after the Emoji Movie was released.”
Miller has not responded to the allegations.
But other women have come forward to allege that Miller was abusive towards them, while he also faces allegations of sexual harassment.
(Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Golden Trailer Awards)
He is the latest in a number of Hollywood figures to face allegations of sexual harassment.
Production on Amazon’s groundbreaking transgender TV series Transparent was stalled last month after the show’s star Jeffrey Tambor was named in allegations.
Tambor, a straight man who had played a transgender woman in the series, faced allegation of sexual misconduct from his former assistant and consultant for the show Van Barnes.
Barnes said that while she was Tambor’s personal assistant on the show, he acted in a sexually inappropriate way towards her.
This led Amazon to open an investigation into Tambor.
Sepearate allegations then came to light, with actress Trace Lysette – who has featured on the show since 2014 – saying that following Barnes’ testimony, she had to “add my voice to the chorus.”
In her allegations, she detailed how Tambor had thrust his penis against her on set, in front of the entire crew.
There are now significant questions about the future of ‘Transparent’ and how the show can continue without Tambor as the lead.
Transparent is one of Amazon’s most successful shows, with the series receiving multiple accolades over its four seasons.
Netflix also sacked Kevin Spacey from its award-winning series House of Cards after a number of men came forward to accuse him of sexual assault.
The first man to speak out about Spacey was queer Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp, who alleged that Spacey made advances towards him when he was just 14.
