Even if you don’t recognize the name T.J. Miller, you’re almost certainly familiar with the comic and actor’s work.
Star of the popular HBO sitcom Silicon Valley, Miller’s distinctive voice can be heard often, in everything from commercials to cartoons.
And now, his name has been added to the ever-growing list of powerful men in Hollywood who have been accused of sexual assault.
The Daily Beast has published an account by a woman whose name was not given due to fears of reprisal.
She says she dated Miller when they were both students at George Washington University in Washington.
The relationship reportedly ended following a violent sexual encounter that left the woman traumatized.
“He just tried a lot of things without asking me, and at no point asked me if I was all right,” she tells the outlet.
“He choke[d] me, and I kept staring at his face hoping he would see that I was afraid and [that he] would stop… I couldn’t say anything.”
The woman, who was referred to only as “Sarah” in the piece, says Miller punched her in the face during the encounter, bloodying her lip and breaking a tooth.
Others who attended GWU with Sarah and Miller have come forward to corroborate her account, revealing that the allegations against the actor were common knowledge on campus.
“I attended George Washington University for undergraduate studies from 2000 until December 2003… I had a romantic relationship with [this] woman, who spoke with me about T.J. Miller sexually assaulting her,” attorney Matt Lord wrote in a statement issued to The Daily Beast.
“At the time I believed the statements she made regarding the assault by Mr. Miller, and I continue to believe the statements she made are true.”
Lord added:
“She was engaged in student conduct proceedings regarding the sexual assault, and I remember the emotional toll that the assault and the subsequent conduct hearings placed on her.”
Anonymous sources who have worked with Miller claim the actor has a history of dismissing the allegations by making light of them.
Many believe that it’s for this reason that prominent female comics and actresses have declined to work with Miller.
T.J. and wife Kate Miller issued a statement today in which they denied the allegations and attempted to discredit the accuser.
This is the couple’s statement (which was posted alongside the photo below on Kate’s Instagram page) in its entirety:
“We met this woman over a decade ago while studying together in college, she attempted to break us up back then by plotting for over a year before making contradictory claims and accusations.
“She attempted to discredit both of our voices and use us against one another by trying to portray Kate to be a continuous abuse victim of T.J. (further efforts to hurt the two of us).
“She was asked to leave our university comedy group because of worrisome and disturbing behavior, which angered her immensely, she then became fixated on our relationship, and began telling people around campus “I’m going to destroy them” & “I’m going to ruin him.
“We are confident that a full consideration of accounts from and since that time will shed light and clarity on the true nature of not only this person’s character, but also on the real facts of the matter. (See the e-mails referenced).
“We stand together in stating this is nothing more than an unfortunate resurgence of her lies designed to wreak havoc on two happily married people in the public eye.”
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.
