Freeman’s lawyer claims CNN ‘story built on fakery’

Hollywood star Morgan Freeman’s lawyer demanded on Tuesday that CNN retract a story accusing the 80-year-old actor of multiple cases of sexual harassment.

“We presented CNN with objective evidence, including videotapes and on-the-record denials by the claimed ‘victims,’ that the alleged incident that gave rise to the story never happened,” lawyer Robert Schwartz said in a statement. In a later statement, he said that “we proved to CNN, beyond any doubt, that the whole story was built on fakery. The credibility of the entire CNN attack on Mr Freeman has now been undermined.”

16 people — eight of whom say they were victims — last week described to CNN a range of troubling behaviour by Freeman on production sets or promotional tours. The actor issued a quick apology after the report was published.

One of the journalists behind the CNN report, Chloe Melas, said her own encounter with Freeman, when she was pregnant, prompted her to produce the piece. She said that during a press conference for the 2017 movie Going in Style, Freeman looked her up and down and said “Boy, I wish I was in there.”

The article also quoted an unnamed production assistant on the same film, who accused Freeman of massaging the small of her back without her consent, and of trying to lift her skirt while asking if she was wearing underwear.

Freeman is already facing the fallout from the accusations, including the possible withdrawal of a Lifetime Achievement Award he was given earlier this year by the Screen Actors Guild.

PHOTO: JASON KEMPIN/GETTY IMAGES/AFP Actor Morgan Freeman has been accused of sexual harassment by eight women