Hollywood shaken by sex scandal of two 'big names'

"Legend" Morgan Freeman accused of sexual harassment by 8 women

On May 24, at least eight women accused Morgan Freeman of sexual harassment, including CNN reporter Chloe Melas. Melas said that during an interview at the press conference for the movie "Going in Style," Mr. Freeman approached her, shook her hand, looked at her six-month pregnant belly and said, "I wish I was there" and "You're so ripe"...

Some others interviewed aboveCNNalso said that he had witnessed harassment or rude words from this veteran actor over the years.

This information really shocked public opinion because Morgan Freeman is considered a prestigious name, a "monument of Hollywood".

Hours after being accused, Freeman officially spoke out on US Weekly: "Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows that it was never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected. That was never my intention."

However, the incident has had a significant impact on his reputation. It is known that Morgan Freeman's image in some advertisements has been removed; many viewers have turned their backs. People have commented that if the investigation and court conclusions are true to the accusations, he could lose his entire career that he has built over the past decades.

Recently, the owner issued a second statement denying sexual harassment of many women. “I am devastated that my 80-year life is about to be destroyed in an instant, just because of the news reports on Thursday (May 25)… I also want to be clear: I did not create an unsafe work environment for others. I did not sexually assault women. I did not offer to hire or promote them in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is false,” the statement said.

Morgan Freeman (born 1937), Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He is known for his roles in Wanted (2008), The Dark Knight (2008), Red (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Now You See Me (2013) ... In particular, his supporting role in Million Dollar Baby (2004) helped him reach the Oscar statue after many "failed" nominations. Earlier this year, Morgan Freeman received the "Lifetime Achievement" award from the SAG-AFTRA Actors' Association.

“Hollywood Boss” on trial for raping many women

On the morning of May 26 (local time), film producer Harvey Weinstein was officially arrested on charges of sexually assaulting two women.

The 66-year-old Hollywood mogul arrived at the police station in a chauffeured SUV, and was escorted by two detectives from the police station to the criminal courthouse. Notably, Harvey Weinstein appeared calm and even smiled as he was handcuffed.

The New York Police Department announced that Mr. Weinstein was arrested on charges of rape, sexual abuse and indecent assault.

One of the two victims was actress Lucia Evans. In an interview with The New Yorker, she said she met Weinstein in a hotel room in 2004 with the hope of becoming an actress. There, Evans was forced to perform oral sex by Weinstein.

Evans said the incident had a profound psychological impact on her to this day. She suffered from anorexia for many years. Her friends even advised her to see a psychiatrist because they feared she would commit suicide.

The second woman, who asked to remain anonymous, worked with Weinstein and accused him of raping her in a hotel room.

In addition to the two women above, dozens of other women have come forward to accuse Weinstein of harassment or inappropriate behavior, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow. In 2015, Italian model Ambra Battilana even sent police a recording of a conversation with Weinstein, as evidence that he had groped her breasts and put his hand up her skirt.

According toDaily MailHarvey Weinstein has agreed to pay $1 million bail (about 22 billion VND) to the court to be released on bail, surrender his passport and agree to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.