Ben Affleck on Tuesday added his voice to the growing number of celebrities coming out against Harvey Weinstein in the wake of a report that revealed decades of sexual abuse allegations against the Hollywood producer.
“I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades,” Affleck said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Affleck and Weinstein worked together on several films, including Good Will Hunting.
Weinstein, who was fired from The Weinstein Company on Sunday, reached confidential settlements with at least eight women over sexual harassment allegations, The New York Times reported last week. The Times story cites interviews with current and former employees of Weinstein’s company, along with legal records. It also quotes actor Ashley Judd, who said Weinstein had greeted her in his bathrobe two decades ago.
The New Yorker on Tuesday published another lengthy report on the allegations made against Weinstein, citing conversations with 13 women who said he sexually harassed or assaulted them.
In a statement Thursday, Weinstein acknowledged that he had “caused a lot of pain” and asked for “a second chance.”
Weinstein’s lawyer, Charles Harder, told TIME in an email that the Times story was “saturated with false and defamatory statements.” In a statement to The New Yorker, a spokesperson for Weinstein denied the allegations of non-consensual sex, saying that Weinstein believes the incidents related in the story were consensual.
The allegations against Weinstein revealed in The New Yorker story “made me sick,” Affleck said.
“This is completely unacceptable, and I find myself asking what I can do to make sure this doesn’t happen to others,” said Affleck, whose brother, Casey Affleck, has also faced criticism over sexual harassment claims. “We need to do better at protecting our sisters, friends, co-workers and daughters.”
Affleck joins actors like Meryl Streep, Judi Dench and Lena Dunham and director Kevin Smith, who have also voiced their disgust over Weinstein’s alleged behavior toward women.
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