Though he insists he supports the #MeToo movement, screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan is defending Casey Affleck, star of his film Manchester by the Sea. “I couldn’t be more all for the #MeToo movement and I couldn’t feel more strongly that he’s been treated abominably,†Lonergan said at a premiere event for the Starz miniseries Howards End, which he wrote. “It’s not good for anybody.â€
Accusations of sexual harassment against Affleck on the set of his 2010 mockumentary I’m Still Here resurfaced during his Manchester Oscar campaign in 2016 (he settled the lawsuits surrounding them out of court, and did not address the accusations directly until after awards season). This year, Affleck withdrew from the Oscars ceremony amid the #MeToo movement, while Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster presented the Best Actress trophy in his place.“People really don’t know what they are talking about, I’m afraid,†Lonergan said of the Affleck’s detractors. “And I’m afraid they are doing it in the name of a very good cause.â€