Bryan Callen Sues Husband Of Rape Accuser Over Alleged Blacklist Campaign

Comedian Bryan Callen is suing the husband of a woman who accused him of rape for allegedly trying to ruin his career.

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the former “Goldbergs” actor filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court against Gabriel Tigerman, the husband of actress and comedian Katherine Fiore Tigerman, who claimed in a Los Angeles Times report in July that Callen raped her in 1999. Katherine is one of four women who came forward and accused Callen of sexual assault and misconduct.

In his lawsuit, Callen, who has denied all allegations against him, accused Gabriel of attempting to destroy his livelihood by threatening, harassing and intimidating those who contact him.

“Driven by the false allegation that Mr. Callen assaulted his wife over 20 years ago, Mr. Tigerman has sent and continues to send Mr. Callen’s representatives and others direct demands that they cease doing business with him, or else be falsely branded as supporters of sexual assault,” Callen’s complaint stated.

Shortly after the rape allegations surfaced, Callen took a leave of absence from his podcast, “The Fighter and the Kid,” but bookings for stand-up acts continued. However, Gabriel allegedly sent “less than pleased emails and tweets” to several comedy clubs that were scheduled to host Callen, according to the comedian's complaint.

At least four locations — Brickyard Comedy Club in Oklahoma City, Skyline Comedy Club in Wisconsin, Spokane Comedy Club in Washington and DC Improv in Washington, D.C. — have since canceled Callen’s shows, the Los Angeles Times reported.

On Wednesday afternoon, Gabriel responded to Callen’s lawsuit by launching a legal defense fund on GoFundMe, where he said accused rapists should not be allowed to work in the entertainment industry.

“They don’t belong on our television and movie sets, and they don’t belong in comedy clubs. It is in these environments that they are able to meet their victims,” he wrote. “Allowing accused sexual abusers into these spaces sends the clear message to victims that they are not safe and they are not believed.”

“I’ve expressed that view on social media, and I’ve shared it directly with those responsible for deciding who deserves the spotlight. As you might expect, Bryan didn’t like that. So he sued me,” he continued.

As of Friday, Sept. 25, the campaign has raised nearly $20,000.