Looks like Hollywood is taking a more active role in its fight against its abusive male members.
In the last couple of weeks, the entertainment industry has been washed by the deluge of sexual harassment complaints and accusations. Starting with film mogul Harvey Weinstein, women have come out to name their sexual perpetrators which include directors James Toback and Brett Ratner and actors Jeremy Piven and Kevin Spacey. Now, another actor embroiled in accusations of violence against women — Casey Affleck.
Earlier this year Affleck, who won Best Actor for his performance in the film "Manchester by the Sea," was accused of sexually harassing two female crew members from the film "I'm Not There."
In the past Academy Awards, the winner of the Best Actor from the previous year presents the award for Best Actress. However, in light of the sexual harassment scandal rocking Hollywood and involving Affleck, a lot of people wants to ensure that the actor will not be allowed to present the award. According to Pajiba, there are currently two online petitions circulating around asking the Academy to break its tradition and ban Affleck from participating in the upcoming Oscar ceremony.
Despite the loud public indignation against Affleck's actions, he still managed to take home the statue. According to "I'm Not There's" two film crew members, cinematographer Magdalena Gorka and producer Amanda White, Affleck aggressively pursued them in 2009. Both women filed charges against the actor for his lewd behavior, which included inappropriate language, abusive text messages, and other misconduct. Both cases were settled out of court.
In the last month or so of the sexual misconduct by powerful Hollywood men, the tide seems to be changing with Weinstein losing his company and getting removed from the academy, Ratner and Spacey both getting fired from their jobs, and films that they were developing getting shelved. If Affleck gets banned from coming to the Oscars, that could mean another victory for the victims of the widespread sexual harassment enveloping Hollywood right now.
