Subscribe
Hellobeautiful Featured Video
CLOSE
Morgan Freeman

Source: Getty Images / Morgan Freeman

Soon after CNN broke the news that eight women accused Morgan Freeman of sexual harassment, the Oscar-winning actor issued a second statement stressing that he is innocent.

“I am devastated that 80 years of my life is at risk of being undermined, in the blink of an eye, by Thursday’s media reports,” Freeman writes.

“All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard. And we need to listen to them. But it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humor.”

However, he claims that all he did was make jokes and had no intention to make anyone uncomfortable.

“But I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments. I did not assault women. I did not offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is completely false.”

Whether they were jokes or not, misconduct is still misconduct. Sir. Do better.

As we previously reportedCNN released an exclusive report in which they spoke with 16 people, eight of which say they experienced harassment at the hands of the 80-year-old actor.

One source who worked as a production assistant on the 2015 film, “Going In Style”  told the outlet that she experienced months of harassment. In several instances she alleged that Freeman frequently rubbed her back and tried on several occasions to lift up her skirt, inquiring whether or not she had on underwear.

“He never successfully lifted her skirt, she said — he would touch it and try to lift it, she would move away, and then he’d try again,” CNN reports.

She asserts that Freeman’s co-star, Alan Arkin, demanded him to stop on one occasion.

Freeman issued an initial statement apologizing on Thursday (May 24) when news hit of the damning report.

“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.”

RELATED NEWS:

#TimesUp: Eight Women Accuse Morgan Freeman Of Sexual Harassment

#MeToo: Lupita Nyong’o Opens Up About Her Past Experiences With Harvey Weinstein, ‘I Felt Unsafe’

#MuteRKelly: Black Hollywood Teams Up To Hold R Kelly Accountable For His Alleged Sex Crimes Against Women & Girls

Timeline Of R. Kelly’s Sexual Assault Accusations
7 photos

For 2024’s iteration of MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful’s annual series Women to Know, we knew we wanted to celebrate the people who help make the joys of film and television possible. To create art is to create magic. This year, we spotlight Hollywood Executive’s changing the face of cinema.