IN 2017 AFTER Casey Affleck won an Oscar for Best Actor in Manchester By the Sea, people weren’t too pleased.
That’s because several years prior, the actor and director was sued by two separate women for sexual harassment while he was working on the set of 2010 movie I’m Still Here. Both of the lawsuits resulted in settlements and after the accusations resurfaced last year, Affleck dropped out of the 2018 Oscars, where he was set to present an award.
In a new interview with AP, the 42-year-old said that “this was the right thing to do”.
Just given everything that was going on in our culture at the moment.
AP brought up the allegations made against Affleck, and said, “We haven’t heard from you since #MeToo and Time’s Up became a big talking point in the culture.” They continued by asking Affleck, “Has that made you reflect on or reevaluate anything about the experience or the atmosphere on that set?” Here’s how he responded:
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. 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 make it right, so we made it right in the way that was asked at the time.
And we all agreed to just try put it behind us and move on with our lives, which I think we deserve to do, and I want to respect them as they’ve respected me and my privacy. And That’s that.
Affleck then claimed that since the #MeToo movement began, he has “moved from a place of being defensive to one of a more mature point of view” where he tried to find his own culpability. Speaking of the incidents that resulted in a lawsuit in 2008 and 2009, he said:
The cast was the crew and the crew was kind of the cast and it was an unprofessional environment and, you know, the buck had to stop with me being one of the producers and I have to accept responsibility for that and that was a mistake. And I contributed to that unprofessional environment and I tolerated that kind of behaviour from other people and I wish that I hadn’t.
I really did not know what I was responsible for as the boss. I don’t even know if I thought of myself as the boss. But I behaved in a way and allowed others to behave in a way that was really unprofessional and I’m sorry.
I know just enough to know that in general I need to keep my mouth shut and listen and try figure out what’s going on and be a supporter and a follower in the little, teeny tiny ways that I can.
People on Twitter have had varying responses to Casey’s interview with AP.
One man wrote that accepting Affleck’s apology after two years sets a very bad precedent for the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey if they choose to return and issue and apology in two years.
SO let me get this straight..... casey affleck isn't cancelled anymore? so if kevin spacey and harvey weinstein come along 2 YEARS from now with some cheap ass apology so they can get their careers back you'll forgive them too right?
— marnie (@elisaespositos) August 9, 2018
But another man suggested that “this is an apology model for men to follow”.
Casey Affleck breaks his #MeToo silence with AP in a rather astonishing interview. No 'well,' 'but' or 'actually. I gave him a lot of shit during his Oscar year but this is an apology model for men to follow. https://t.co/6l2wAZjUCM pic.twitter.com/FVDyDgwDqm
— Erik Anderson (@awards_watch) August 9, 2018
Others were surprised.
I do not want to give this guy a cookie by any means, but it would be nice for men to realize there is another way to talk about these issues without being a total asshole.
— Jess (@jessicaesquire) August 9, 2018
But mostly, people were angry.
casey affleck goes “i’m sorry that you guys found out about it” and suddenly everyone is on his dick again which shows you guys don’t give a shit about victims at all
— Jacob (@TheAgeOfThanos) August 9, 2018
It sure is nice that Casey Affleck is saying all the right things about #MeToo after he & his PR team ran a ruthless Oscar campaign that shut down vague mentions of sexual harassment, then went silent long enough until the first steps of industry backlash hit the movement, eh?
— Kayleigh Donaldson (@Ceilidhann) August 9, 2018
Casey Affleck admitted he did everything his accusers said he did. Can he be cancelled now?? No?? He's just gonna get a pat on the head for admitting all his bullshit?? Sounds about white.
— Ana R (@ShawAndOrder) August 9, 2018
Lmao y’all don’t get to stan Casey Affleck now he’s still a garbage human being
— Adam (@AdamMcDee) August 9, 2018
