A new CNN investigation has uncovered multiple accusations of misconduct against Morgan Freeman. According to the report, eight women allege being sexually harassed by Freeman on set and in interviews, with eight other witnesses corroborating their stories. One woman, a production assistant on the 2017 film Going in Style, says that the actor inappropriately touched her and made lewd comments about her appearance on a “near-daily basis†on the set in 2015. “[He] kept trying to lift up my skirt and asking if I was wearing underwear,†she says. The woman says the harassment got so bad, Freeman’s co-star Alan Arkin intervened: “Alan made a comment telling him to stop. Morgan got freaked out and didn’t know what to say.†(Freeman and Arkin declined to comment to CNN.) Other women, including a senior production staffer on the film Now You See Me and multiple reporters, say Freeman harassed them and “numerous†other women.
CNN’s Chloe Melas, who conducted the investigation, says Freeman made inappropriate comments about her pregnancy (“You are ripe†and “I wish I was thereâ€) during a press junket for Going in Style, one of which was caught on film. She reported the incident to CNN’s HR department, which contacted the film’s producer, Warner Bros. The company said it could not corroborate her account because no other WB employees present at the junket “noticed anything.†Employees at Freeman’s production company, Revelations Entertainment, also said that he and co-founder Lori McCreary created a “toxic†work environment where sexual harassment was the norm. They claim McCreary witnessed at least one incident, and that she was also “the target of demeaning comments by Freeman in a public setting.†(McCreary did not comment.) Witnesses to Freeman’s alleged harassment say it dates back at least ten years.
Update, 12:45 p.m. ET: Freeman has issued a statement to BuzzFeed saying he “apologizes to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected†by his alleged behavior.
“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.â€