Morgan Freeman issues second statement on sexual harassment allegations
Morgan Freeman has released a second statement regarding the accusations of inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment towards women levied at him.
The allegations against the Oscar-winning actor were first reported by CNN, who spoke to 16 women about Freeman’s behaviour on film sets, at press junkets and in the office of his production company Revelations Entertainment. The report sees one woman claim that Freeman attempted to lift her skirt multiple times.
Freeman issued a statement after the initial report apologising “to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected” by his behaviour. The second statement sees the actor apologise again but also add that he “did not create unsafe work environments” and “did not assault women”.
“I am devastated that 80 years of my life is at risk of being undermined, in the blink of an eye, by Thursday’s media reports,” the statement reads. “All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard. And we need to listen to them. But it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humour.
“I admit that I am someone who feels a need to try to make women – and men – feel appreciated and at ease around me. As a part of that, I would often try to joke with and compliment women, in what I thought was a light-hearted and humorous way. Clearly I was not always coming across the way I intended. And that is why I apologised Thursday and will continue to apologise to anyone I might have upset, however unintentionally.
“But I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments. I did not assault women. I did not offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is completely false.”
The 80-year-old is said to have made multiple comments about women’s clothing and women’s bodies, often in front of multiple witnesses and on camera.
One accuser was CNN reporter Chloe Melas, who co-wrote the investigation and was pregnant when she met Freeman. She alleges the actor shook her hand and said “I wish I was there” and “You are ripe”.
Freeman’s original statement reads: “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 apologise to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected – that was never my intent.”
Since the report, the Screen Actors Guild of America has released a statement saying they are considering rescinding Freeman’s lifetime achievement award, given to the actor earlier this year
