Ben Vereen accused of sexually assaulting and harassing actresses during production of ‘Hair' (tr)

New York Daily News ^ | January 5, 2018 | NICOLE BITETTE and NANCY DILLON

[EdnaMode]

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 in a sickening twist, 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.

[EdnaMode]

Excerpted to exclude the more explicit parts of the article.

[Red Badger]

Isn’t he like 90?...................

[PGR88]

I’m old enough to remember him as Chicken George.

[UCANSEE2]

“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.”

AKA The Casting Call

[Fightin Whitey]

Man...it's one thing to ruin your career over "House of Cards" and "All the Money in the World"...

But summerstock "Hair"?...lol!

[BlueLancer]

I’m old enough to remember him as Chicken George.

I remember him in "Pippin" ...

[Harpotoo]

Uh saw hair a year or so ago and they all get Neck’ed at one point:-)

[Tallguy]

Only real news here is that he isn’t gay.

[PghBaldy]

Dancing in the 1970s https://youtu.be/32kJo885CSU

https://youtu.be/pg8qG7jT08Y

[Dr. Ursus]

This is jump in’ the shark-Fonzie!

[babble-on]

He was a good tap dancer. Man, these baby-boomers were just out of control!

[dead]

Basil Rathbone is rumored to have asked Lillian Gish for a handy back before talkies.

[gr8eman]

I call BS. No way he likes girls...at all. But then I thought the same about Harvey Weinstein.

[billorites]

"Vereen used the same lines on both of them to get them naked in his hot tub."

Boy, those gotta be mighty good lines!

[billorites]

"he pressed his erect penis into their legs without warning."

In my experience a warning is no help whatsoever.

[Responsibility2nd]

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.

How horrible for those poor women. Who then went totally nude on stage before a live audience.

[SunkenCiv]

Look under the hashtag, #meetoowhenIgetaroundtoit

[Buckeye McFrog]

Sexual harassment at a nude play? You don’t say!

[Calvin Locke]

Chicken George?

Oh, "Roots". It came out when I was in college, and never really grabbed me.

(Good thing, since it turn out to be mostly BS, based on purloined fiction from a white guy.)

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***He was a good tap dancer.***

I saw him do an old Minstrel show dance on NBC about 43 years ago. WOW! He could DANCE!

That dance would melt the snowflakes today by bringing in forced cultural appropriation, memories of slavery, Bones and Tambo....