CNN reported on Thursday that eight women had accused actor Morgan Freeman of inappropriate behaviour and harassment.
One woman claimed that Freeman, while filming Going In Style, “kept trying to lift up [my] skirt and asking if [I] was wearing underwear.”
She further claimed that “Alan [Arkin] made a comment telling him to stop. Morgan got freaked out and didn’t know what to say.”
Another passage detailed a different woman’s experience: “If I ever passed him he would stare at me in an awkward way, would look me up and down, sometimes stopping and just staring. “One time he stopped, looked me up and down as I walked into a room of people, and everyone burst out laughing. And I literally froze, feeling very uncomfortable, and one of the people in the office said ‘Don’t worry, that’s just Morgan.'”
The accusations largely came from women who had worked on movies with Freeman. The report can be read in full here.
Later on Thursday evening, Freeman issued a statement responding to the accusations. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Freeman said “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.”
CNN sought comment from Freeman before the original report was published but the actor did not respond.
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