Morgan Freeman has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women.
The Oscar-winning actor is alleged to have behaved inappropriately towards eight women, including staff on film sets, employees of his production company, and journalists.
The claims emerged following an investigation by CNN, which cited 16 sources who said they were the targets of or had witnessed Freeman’s behaviour.
A young production assistant who worked on 2017 bank heist comedy Going in Style told the broadcaster Freeman “kept trying to lift up my skirt and asking if I was wearing underwear”.
She alleged Freeman subjected her to unwanted touching and comments about her figure and clothing on an almost daily basis.
The actor, 80, is said to have made comments about women’s clothing or their bodies in front of multiple witnesses and even on camera.
CNN said seven people had described Freeman’s pattern of inappropriate behaviour at Revelations Entertainment, the production company he founded in 1996 with a stated mission to “reveal truth”.
Freeman set up the company with Lori McCreary, the current president of the Producers Guild Association, who has championed the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements.
CNN also said it had spoken to three entertainment reporters who claimed Freeman made inappropriate remarks during interviews.
They included CNN reporter Chloe Melas, who was pregnant at the time and co-wrote the investigation into Freeman.
She alleged the actor shook her hand and repeatedly looked her up and down and said “I wish I was there” and “You are ripe” after they met at a press event for Going in Style last year.
In a statement issued after the allegations became public, Freeman said: “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 apologise to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected – that was never my intent.”
The actor is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, having become a household name through films such as Driving Miss Daisy and Shawshank Redemption.
He won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in 2005 for his role in Million Dollar Baby, and has received Oscar nominations for four other films.
