Veteran Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman has publicly apologised to a group of women who have accused him of several instances of sexual harassment.
A total of 16 people have accused the Se7en star of behaving inappropriately, Sky News reports, as he becomes the latest Hollywood celebrity to be accused of sexual misconduct, after allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein kickstarted the #MeToo campaign against sexual harassment.
Freeman has apologised to “anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected”.
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What is Freeman accused of?
A total of 16 people came forward to CNN to accuse Freeman, 80, of a range of offences dating back years.
Eight of the women said they were victims of harassment or inappropriate behaviour, while two of them said Freeman subjected them to “unwanted touching”.
One of the two was subjected to attempts to lift up her skirt and was asked if she was wearing underwear, the BBC reports.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the other - a young production assistant on the 2015 comedy Going in Style - was subjected to several months of harassment, and alleges that Freeman repeatedly touched her without her consent, “resting his hand on her lower back or rubbing her lower back, and frequently made comments about her figure and clothing”, calling her “ripe”.
She also added that actor Alan Arkin, who was present at the time, “made a comment telling him to stop”.
Other accusations included inappropriate questions regarding sexual harassment, “looking women up and down” and asking them to twirl for him.
The remaining eight people came forward as witnesses.
What has the response been?
In response to the accusations, Freeman issued a statement of apology.
“Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy,” the statement read.
“I apologise to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected - that was never my intent.”
The allegations have prompted Vancouver’s transportation system TransLink to remove Freeman’s voice from a Visa ad campaign that was running as part of its announcements, The Guardian writes.
Actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, which handed Freeman a lifetime achievement award last year, is also looking into the allegations.
A spokesperson for the union said: “These are compelling and devastating allegations which are absolutely contrary to all the steps that we are taking to ensure a safe work environment for the professionals in this industry.
“Any accused person has the right to due process, but it is our starting point to believe the courageous voices who come forward to report incidents of harassment.
“Given Mr Freeman recently received one of our union’s most prestigious honours recognising his body of work, we are therefore reviewing what corrective actions may be warranted at this time.”
