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Ben Vereen accused of harassing actresses in 'Hair'
When Ben Vereen held auditions for “Hair” at a community theatre in Florida in 2015, the Tony winner said he wanted to break new ground with the rock musical.
But several young actresses cast in the show claim the Broadway legend’s sexually abusive behavior nearly broke them.
The women — part of the Venice Theatre production outside of Tampa — say Vereen forced unwanted kisses, hugged them aggressively, stripped naked during an acting exercise and made degrading comments about their weight, sex appeal and personal lives.
Two of the actresses told the Daily News that Vereen lured them to his Florida rental home on separate occasions in September 2015 under the guise of “private rehearsals.” Then he pressed his erect penis into their legs without warning.
Kaitlyn Terpstra was 22 years old at the time. The other actress, who asked to be identified by only her first name, Kim, was 23 years old.
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Vereen was weeks shy of his 69th birthday.
In a lengthy statement to the Daily News Thursday, Vereen did not deny the accusations.
“I would like to apologize directly to the female cast members of the musical ‘Hair’ for my inappropriate conduct when I directed the product
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Ben Vereen Apologizes for ‘Inappropriate Conduct’ Adhere to Actresses found 2015 Fastener Production
Tony champ and TV star Ben Vereen has apologized represent “inappropriate conduct” during a 2015 plane production leave undone “Hair” turnup for the books The Venezia Theater display Florida.
“I would like hurt apologize honest to description female depressed members carryon the tuneful ‘Hair’ purpose my unsuited conduct when I directed the making in 2015,” Vereen, evocative 71, supposed in a statement.
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Multiple women have accused Broadway star Ben Vereen of sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to assault, according to a Friday morning report from the New York Daily News.
The alleged sexual misconduct happened during Vereen’s tenure as director of the 2015 production of “Hair” at the Venice Theatre program outside of Tampa, Florida. Vereen, who was 69 at the time, held open auditions for the production and later managed the 32-person volunteer cast.
Four female cast members told the New York Daily News that Vereen repeatedly and forcibly kissed and hugged them without their consent. Several other cast members corroborated their experiences, telling the New York Daily News that Vereen routinely made degrading comments about female cast members’ bodies during rehearsals and one time stripped naked with the cast during what he called an acting exercise.
Two of the four women alleged that Vereen invited them separately over to his home in September 2015 for “private rehearsals.” During these two incidences, Vereen allegedly coerced the women into getting naked and asked them to join him in the hot tub. According to the two accounts, Vereen pressed his erect penis into the women’s legs and made unwanted sexual advances.
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