A household name for his role as the fast-talking, acerbic Hollywood agent Ari Gold in the long-running HBO series Entourage, Piven has a lengthy list of acting credits to his name. He won a Golden Globe and three consecutive Emmy Awards for his work on the show. He also starred as the title character in the British period drama Mr Selfridge, based on the life of Harry Selfridge, who founded London department store Selfridge’s, and he appeared in films such as Grosse Pointe Blank, Singles, The Family Man, Heat, The Kingdom, Old School, Black Hawk Down, and many others.
But after a string of sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against him in 2017 and 2018, the actor took a hiatus from the spotlight, refusing to take a polygraph test or publicly acknowledge the allegations. His accusers say they’re disappointed that he skirted accountability and returned to the spotlight without ever apologizing or acknowledging his past wrongdoings.
Now, more than five years after the first allegations Jeremy Piven against him, Piven is once again flexing his comedic muscles. He’s starring in the feature film Sweetwater alongside former NBA star Carmelo Anthony and other prominent athletes, and he’s been promoting the film by doing interviews with media outlets such as Good Morning America and Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show.
He’s also been busy with his podcast, How U Livin J Piven, where he hosts guests such as Jamie Foxx, Tiffany Haddish, and Common. He has also been touring the country with his stand-up comedy, and he recently released two filmed specials titled Sincerely Louis C.K and Sorry.
While Piven’s critics aren’t exactly welcoming his return to the limelight, there are some who think he deserves a chance at redemption. Meador, who portrayed George Costanza’s sister-in-law Spence on Seinfeld, says that she believes Piven should take some level of accountability for the accusations against him. She adds that she thinks studios, production companies, and management should also hold some level of accountability for their decisions to give actors such as Piven roles.
Gonzalez agrees with Meador that Piven should be given a chance to redeem himself, but she thinks his lack of accountability is a big part of the problem. She says she thinks he needs to show more remorse and offer an apology for the mistreatment that he has caused other women, as well as for his behavior in the workplace.
