LOS ANGELES:

Kobe Bryant was dropped Wednesday from the jury of an animated film festival after calls for the former NBA star’s ouster over a 2003 rape allegation.

Eric Beckman the CEO of GKIDS, the company that organizes the Animation Is Film Festival, announced the move.

“After discussions with the various stakeholders of Animation Is Film, the decision has been made to remove Kobe Bryant from the 2018 jury, Beckman said in a statement. “We are a young organization and it is important to keep our collective energies focused on the films, the participating filmmakers, and our festival attendees.”

An online petition had been circulating demanding Bryant be dropped.

Bryant won an Academy Award in March for his part in making the animated short, “Dear Basketball” and has founded an animation company, Granity Studios. (AP)