Morgan Freeman apologizes to 'anyone who felt uncomfortable' after allegations of sexual harassment
Morgan Freeman has apologized to "anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected," after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior both on the set and in the offices of his production company.
Eight women came forward to allege misconduct by the 80-year-old Oscar winner in a report by CNN. In all, CNN said it spoke to 16 people -- eight witnesses and eight victims.
In a statement from his rep, Freeman told ABC News, "Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy. I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected -- that was never my intent."
One of the alleged victims, a unnamed production assistant on the set of Freeman's 2015 film "Going in Style," told CNN that Freeman repeatedly touched her without her permission, resting his hand on her lower back or rubbing her lower back. She said he also made comments about her figure and clothing.
She told CNN that Freeman "kept trying to lift up my skirt and asking if I was wearing underwear." After several unsuccessful attempts, she said Freeman's co-star Alan Arkin eventually told him to stop. "Morgan got freaked out and didn't know what to say," she said.
Another woman, a senior member of the production staff of his 2012 film "Now You See Me," told CNN, "He did comment on our bodies ... We knew that if he was coming by ... not to wear any top that would show our breasts, not to wear anything that would show our bottoms, meaning not wearing clothes that [were] fitted."
In the offices of Revelations Entertainment -- a production company Freeman co-founded with producer Lori McCreary -- former staffers described a "toxic" environment that included sexual comments and unsolicited touching from Freeman.
A former manager at Revelations told CNN that Freeman would sometimes "come over to my desk" and "would stare at my breasts."
Another former employee told CNN he witnessed Freeman "walk up to an intern and start massaging her" shoulder. He said, "The intern got visibly red and wiggled out of his grasp, it was awkward."
McCreary did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
Already there are some signs of fallout from the allegations. Vancouver’s transportation system, which recently announced Morgan Freeman as the voice of TransLink, told ABC in a statement, "In light of information we’ve learned this morning of allegations regarding actor Morgan Freeman, TransLink has decided to pause his voice announcements as part of a VISA ad campaign on our transit system. We will be reaching out to VISA to discuss further."
Freeman is best known for his roles in "Shawshank Redemption" and "Driving Miss Daisy," as well as his voice-over work in Visa commercials and the "March of the Penguins" documentaries. He won the Academy Award in 2005 for best supporting actor for his work in "Million Dollar Baby."
