Richard Dreyfuss denies exposing himself, but admits conduct was often inappropriate

Richard Dreyfuss has denied allegations that he exposed himself to a woman in the 1980s.

Jessica Teich, a writer who met Dreyfuss in 1987 on a TV comedy show, accused the movie star of subjecting her to lewd comments and overtly sexual behaviour.

Teich said she was writing the script for the ABC show when she was summoned to his trailer on the set of one of his films. She claims that it was when he had got her alone, that he exposed his genitals to her.

Recalling the incident Dreyfuss denies exposing himself to Teich and explained that he thought the encounter was a "consensual seduction ritual". He admitted to flirting with the writer but said that he was now "horrified and bewildered to discover that it wasn't consensual".

Vulture reported Dreyfuss as saying in a statement: "I emphatically deny ever 'exposing' myself to Jessica Teich, whom I have considered a friend for 30 years.

"I did flirt with her, and I remember trying to kiss Jessica as part of what I thought was a consensual seduction ritual that went on and on for many years. I am horrified and bewildered to discover that it wasn't consensual."

The 70-year-old actor did however, accept that there were other encounters when his conduct was often inappropriate, adding that some of his past behaviour "revolts" him.

On the other encounters, the Jaws star told the website: "At the height of my fame in the late 1970s I became an asshole - the kind of performative masculine man my father had modelled for me to be.

"I lived by the motto, 'If you don't flirt, you die'. And flirt I did. I flirted with all women, be they actresses, producers, or 80-year-old grandmothers. I even flirted with those who were out of bounds, like the wives of some of my best friends, which especially revolts me.

"I disrespected myself, and I disrespected them, and ignored my own ethics, which I regret more deeply than I can express.

"During those years I was swept up in a world of celebrity and drugs - which are not excuses, just truths. I think every man on Earth has or will have to grapple with this question. But I am not an assaulter."

Describing the Oscar winner as a hypocrite, Teich said she felt compelled to break her silence after Dreyfuss tweeted support for his son, after Harry Dreyfuss accused Kevin Spacey a week ago of groping his crotch when he was 18.

Star of films including Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and The Goodbye Girl and Mr Holland's Opus, Dreyfuss is the latest to be caught up in Hollywood's sexual harassment scandal.

Earlier on Saturday, Star Trek actor George Takei denied a former male model's claim he was groped by the celebrity more than 35 years ago.

Actress Ellen Page claimed she was publicly outed at the age of 18 by film director Brett Ratner on the set of an X-Men movie.

Hollywood has been left reeling after a series of explosive allegations against powerful executives and A-list stars including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman and Louis C.K.