Star Freeman ‘made vulgar comments, like a creepy uncle’
MORGAN Freeman has apologised for making women feel ‘uncomfortable or disrespected’ after he was accused of sexually harassing colleagues and employees.
Eight women yesterday came forward to accuse the Hollywood actor of inappropriate behaviour or sexual harassment, none of which he denied.
The Oscar winner instead apologised for ‘unintentionally’ making women feel ‘uneasy’, claiming that this was ‘never his intent’.
The women said Freeman, 80, had harassed them on film sets, at his production company and during promotional interviews.
One woman alleged he ‘repeatedly tried to lift up her skirt’, and heavily pregnant CNN journalist Chloe Melas said he called her ‘ripe’ while staring at her body. Freeman routinely made women feel intimidated and uncomfortable, it was claimed, because of his ‘power’ and status.
Two male former employees at his production firm Revelations described him as a ‘creepy uncle’ who would make ‘vulgar and sexual comments’.
One said: ‘[He would say] things like, “I’d like to have an hour with her,” or make vulgar comments about women.
‘You’re more shocked than anything because it’s hard to have the wherewithal to say to him, “That’s inappropriate” … it’s hard because on any set he is the most powerful person.’
Another woman claimed his inappropriate behaviour was so widespread that colleagues told her, ‘Don’t worry, that’s just Morgan’.
The woman said she stopped wearing skirts at work to ward off his advances and that he often stood and stared at her breasts.
A female employee on his 2013 film Now You See Me also alleged he made constant remarks about her body.
She said: ‘We knew that if he was coming by… not to wear any top that would show our breasts, not to wear anything that would show our bottoms, meaning not wearing clothes that [were] fitted.’
The claims were made by 16 anonymous people who spoke to television network CNN.
It comes after allegations he and his step-granddaughter E’Dena Hines had been in a sexual relationship before she was stabbed to death by her boyfriend in 2015. Freeman denies the allegations about Hines, who died aged 23.
‘I’d like to have an hour with her’