Morgan Freeman Hit with Sexual Harassment Accusations
by EG
The Shawshank Redemption star Morgan Freeman is the lates Hollywood figure to be accused of sexual harassment by women who have worked with him. Eight women have come forward to allege that Freeman touched them without consent or made inappropriate comments about their bodies. Freeman says that it was not his "intent" to harass anyone.
Eight women have accused Morgan Freeman of sexual misconduct in a CNN report about the actor's alleged inappropriate behavior, describing multiple troubling incidents throughout his career.
In all, 16 people spoke to CNN about Freeman as part of the investigation; eight witnesses and eight who claim to be victims. The outlet's entertainment reporter Chloe Melas — who co-authored the article — was the only victim who spoke on the record.
A young production assistant said that in the summer of 2015, while she was working on Freeman's bank heist comedy Going in Style, she was subjected to several months of harassment. She alleged that Freeman repeatedly touched her without permission, resting his hand on her lower back or rubbing her lower back, and frequently made comments about her figure and clothing.
In one incident, she said Freeman "kept trying to lift up my skirt and asking if I was wearing underwear," adding that he never successfully lifted her skirt. "Alan [Arkin] made a comment telling him to stop. Morgan got freaked out and didn't know what to say."
A senior member of the production staff of the movie Now You See Me in 2012 said Freeman "did comment on our bodies. … We knew that if he was coming by … not to wear any top that would show our breasts, not to wear anything that would show our bottoms, meaning not wearing clothes that [were] fitted."
At a spokesperson's request, CNN emailed "a detailed list" of the accusations against Freeman but received no response at the time of publishing.
When reached by The Hollywood Reporter, a rep for Freeman provided the following statement from the actor: "Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy. I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent."
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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