Casey Affleck Addresses ‘I’m Still Here’ Lawsuits
As the #MeToo movement grew last year, actor Casey Affleck kept a very low profile. In 2016, during his Oscar campaign for Manchester By the Sea, old sexual harassment accusations resurfaced. While the actor still went on to win Best Actor for the role, he has not made a huge Hollywood breakthrough since.
According to Fox News, he spoke to the Associated Press and addressed the concerns.
When they asked him “During your best actor Oscar campaign for “Manchester By the Sea,” allegations resurfaced regarding two civil lawsuits from the making of your film “I’m Still Here,” that were settled in 2010. But we haven’t heard from you since #MeToo and Time’s Up became a big talking point in the culture. Has that made you reflect on or reevaluate anything about the experience or the atmosphere on that set?”
“First of all, that I was ever involved in a conflict that resulted in a lawsuit is something that I really regret. I wish I had found a way to resolve things in a different way,” Affleck said. “I hate that. I had never had any complaints like that made about me before in my life and it was really embarrassing and I didn’t know how to handle it and I didn’t agree with everything.”
“The way I was being described, and the things that were said about me, but I wanted to try to make it right, so we made it right in the way that was asked at the time,” Affleck continued. “And we all agreed to just try to put it behind us and move on with our lives, which I think we deserve to do.”
“I think it was the right thing to do just given everything that was going on in our culture at the moment. And having two incredible women go present the best actress award felt like the right thing,” Affleck said according to Perez Hilton.
The Associated Press went on to ask Affleck if he’s taught respecting women and the role of the #MeToo movement to his sons. He said he does and tries to make them have more “model compassion” and “decency.” He went on to say, though, that if they mess up somewhere in life, it is on them and they must “own their mistakes when they make them.”
Editor’s note: this story originally made reference to the sexual harassment allegations levied against Casey Affleck. It has been revised to avoid confusion and not imply that Mr. Affleck was addressing these allegations in the quotes provided.
