Yesterday, it emerged that 16 women had come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against actor Morgan Freeman, accusing him of inappropriate touching, remarks and behaviour on various film sets and at his production company.
The allegations included one woman who was working on his film 'Going in Style', who said that the 80-year-old actor "kept trying to lift up my skirt and asking if I was wearing underwear", while even three entertainment journalists said that he had made inappropriate comments to them on press junkets.
Now, Freeman has responded with a brief statement issued to Variety, which apologised for making the women feel 'uneasy'.
“Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy,” it read. “I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent.”
Freeman has several film projects due for release this year, including The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and is well known for his distinctive voiceover work - but one of those, Vancouver Transit Authority, has already said that it is "pausing" announcements featuring his voice after the allegations surfaced.
