Petition calls for Casey Affleck to be banned from 2018 Oscars

'The Academy Awards recently voted to strip Weinstein of his membership – but did you know that another accused sexual harasser is set to participate in the 2018 ceremony?'

It doesn't seem likely next year's Oscars can turn its gaze away from Hollywood's unfolding sexual misconduct allegations.

In that light, filmmaker Cameron Bossert has now called upon the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to ban Casey Affleck, who won Best Actor last year for his performance in Manchester by the Sea, from the 2018 ceremony, due to previous allegations of sexual harassment levied against him.

A new petition by Bossert on Change.org is set to be delivered to AMPAS, who organises the Oscars, and its newly elected president John Bailey.

In it, Bossert writes, "In light of the revelations that Harvey Weinstein has been sexually harassing and assaulting women for decades, the Academy Awards recently voted to strip Weinstein of his membership – but did you know that another accused sexual harasser is set to participate in the 2018 ceremony?"

"Last year despite multiple sexual harassment claims against him, Casey Affleck won the Best Actor award for this role in Manchester by the Sea. He had been accused of sexual harassment by two women who worked with him on a 2010 documentary. The women alleged that Affleck sent them threatening texts, demanded that they share a hotel room with him, and locked one of them out of her room so that he and Joaquin Phoenix could use it to have sex with two other women. One of the women woke up to find Affleck in her bed with her."

The claims Bossert references saw two lawsuits launched against Affleck by cinematographer Magdalena Górka and producer Amanda White alleging sexual harassment on the set of his 2010 mockumentary I’m Still Here. Affleck denied the allegations and both cases were settled out of court. A spokesperson for Affleck said at the time: "The disputes have been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties and the lawsuits are being dismissed."

As Bossert writes, Affleck won the Oscar and so, according to tradition, will attend the 2018 ceremony to present the Best Actress award. "With these credible accusations against him, the Academy should take action and rescind the privilege this year." he concludes.

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