Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the wake of allegations of sexual abuse and harassment.
The Academy, according to The Guardian, held a meeting in Los Angeles on Saturday and released a statement announcing his expel.
“We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over. What’s at issue here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society. The board continues to work to establish ethical standards of conduct that all Academy members will be expected to exemplify,” read the statement.
Incidentally, Weinstein is the second person to be kicked out of the Academy. Earlier, the academy ousted Carmine Cardi, an actor, who violated rules about sharing screener copies of films.
Last week, Weinstein was suspended from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for the same reason. The statement from BAFTA read:
“Whilst BAFTA has previously been a beneficiary of Mr Weinstein’s support for its charitable work, it considers the reported alleged behaviour completely unacceptable and incompatible with BAFTA’s values. This has led to Mr Weinstein’s suspension, and it will be followed by a formal process as laid out in BAFTA’s constitution. We hope this announcement sends a clear message that such behaviour has absolutely no place in our industry.”
On October 5, The New York Times chronicled the sordid behaviour of the Hollywood producer with actresses, interns, writers, and other women who had worked under him, often asking them for sexual favours in exchange to boost their careers.
Recommended
Reported by
The article generated a wave of outrage, with other celebrities coming out and speaking against the producer, the man behind Hollywood movies, including many Oscar and Tony award winning ones such as Shakespeare in Love, Gangs of New York, Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Inglourious Basterds, and many more.
Read: Harvey Weinstein – As The List Of Accusers Increase, Here’s The Story So Far
Feature Image: CNN.com