Casey Affleck responds to sexual harassment allegations after Oscar win
Not all are celebrating Casey Affleck on the heels of his Oscar win for “Manchester by the Sea.”
The actor was previously accused of making “uninvited and unwelcome sexual advances in the workplace” by two women who worked with him on his 2010 film “I’m Still Here.”
Affleck denied the allegations, settled both cases and released a statement that the matter had “been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties and the lawsuits are being dismissed,” but that didn’t prevent a wave of backlash from igniting.
Can we check Best Actor again
— B.J. Novak (@bjnovak) February 27, 2017
All award season Brie Larson, who starred in a movie about sexual assault, had to present Casey Affleck all his awards. pic.twitter.com/L2WbQvSJNv
— Marnie (@ChrnclsOfMarnia) February 27, 2017
Twitter was quick to point out that Brie Larson, who presented him with the award on Sunday, was not clapping as she delivered it to him.
I feel you @brielarson for not celebrating Casey Affleck, a sexual abuser & harasser. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/3x2AUTU3ih
— Gilluis Pérez (@Gilluis_Perez) February 27, 2017
Speaking with the Boston Globe in a post-Oscars interview, Affleck claimed that those condemning him online do not know what happened -- and that both sides are legally prohibited from commenting on the case.
“I believe that any kind of mistreatment of anyone for any reason is unacceptable and abhorrent, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect in the workplace and anywhere else,” Affleck said, explaining that his online critics don’t know what actually happened.
He went on to add, “There’s really nothing I can do about it, other than live my life the way I know I live it and to speak to what my own values are and how I try to live by them all the time.”
CBS News has reached out to Casey Affleck’s publicist for comment.