Casey Affleck has informed the Academy that he will not be attending the ceremony this year or presenting the Best Leading Actress award as is customary for the previous year’s Best Actor winner to do.
His attendance and participation at the 90th edition of the most famous cinematic awards would not be well received in the light of the rise of movements such as #MeToo and Time’s Up and would surely draw attention away from the recognition of the great work achieved last year in the world of cinema.
Casey Affleck, who received Best Leading Actor last year for his role in Manchester By The Sea, was accused and sued for sexual misconduct by two women who were part of the team who worked on I’m Still Here back in 2010. He denied the claims.
A spokesperson of the Oscars said, “We appreciate the decision to keep the focus on the show and on the great work of this year”.
The Time’s Up movement will more than likely make an impact at the Oscars ceremony on 4 Mar.
> Naomi Round
