The crazy boyfriend’s lawyer brought up the rumored affair at trial but he wasn’t the source of said allegations. The story had been circulating the Hollywood gossip mags for years.
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Agreed, he most definitely crossed the line of professionalism. And even decency. But the question, as I see it, is whether or not crossed it far enough that he entered the realm of sexual harassment.
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Well, I don’t think one should do it at all, but yes, at work? Especially bad. But now that I have learned he likely had sex with his step-granddaughter? Less surprised than I was a few days ago when this story started getting traction.
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Like most things, I think it’s useful to think of “sexual harassment” as a spectrum. I’d say these videos show that he’s into that territory, but frankly, at the less-extreme end (again, just going off of these ET videos). Some of the sexual harassment I’ve heard about over the years is, well, a LOT more extreme.
Which doesn’t excuse in any way Freeman’s behavior, which was pretty gross. But context is useful.
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One woman said that Freeman attempted to pull up her skirt and look beneath it on the set of the 2015 film Going in Style, and didn’t stop until he was reprimanded by co-star Alan Arkin.
…and that’s the kind of thing he’d do in front of multiple witnesses. His private conduct was likely even worse.
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With cameras rolling in many circumstances! It’s almost like rich famous people think they follow a different set of rules, or something. But that certainly couldn’t be the case!
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You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
This kind of behavior was completely commonplace going back 20-30 years and more, I bet Freeman is confused by all the attention he’s getting for it.
The claim of inappropriate touching concerns me, maybe there’s more we don’t know, but if these awkwardly flirty comments are typical of what made women uncomfortable then I suppose I can give him a pass, the same way I gave my parents a pass for saying “colored” and “negro” well into the 1980’s (all the while thinking they were using the agreed-upon, respectful terms.)
I’m not saying we should ignore this kind of attitude, rather that there are still a lot of people like this out there, and Freeman needs to be taken aside and have it explained, “hey, this isn’t cool” rather than have his career ruined. I’m pretty sure that’s what happened with my dad to get him to stop saying “colored.”
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People suck. You can still enjoy their work even if they suck. That doesn’t make you a bad person, calling them out on the behavior is 100% acceptable and needed to expose this shit and get it to stop.
Was what he did on the same level as Cosby? Not what we have heard/seen - but it’s still harassment - the fact that famous people are just as big a bag of dicks as all the regular screwballs I know doesn’t really shock me though.
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It seems hard to believe that the recent CNN exposé was the first time he got any inkling that his behavior might not be appropriate.
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That’s pretty much what has happened. It took all of these women talking about it together publicly to get his attention- and he tried to silence them in response.
Nothing has happened to his career.
But actions have consequences, even for famous men.
Edit: correction
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Et tu, Morgan?
Maybe, maybe not. I do hope it results in less gigs. He’s had a long career, I certainly wouldn’t be sad to hear and see no more from him.
Hey, Morgan!
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It’s odd how professionalism is something done between men but once a woman who’s also working or present in a professional capacity appears then another, lesser standard applies. This is why I don’t flirt at work, ever. I like my personal space and I empathize with others who don’t want their personal space (physical/emotional) intruded upon too. I don’t get why some men aren’t clued in on this (tbh even though I’m not out as trans publicly I’ve noticed even if you’re not a typical male in your social/emotional presentation that such breaches in social norms happens to a lesser extent I’m not sure what drives it).
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It’s long been clear to me that some men aren’t clued into that because a big part of their identity involves the assumption that they’re supposed to seek the attention of women, and in some cases, even the control of women.
In a patriarchal society, it validates who they are as “successful” men – it’s a part of who and what they think they are.
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So he’s a lech and a flirt. Sexual harasser, ugh, ok, sure. Some on the edge, some over the line, nope nope. Doesn’t anyone say “Hey Morgan cool it with the sexy time talk on camera, yer gonna blow your gravy train to high heaven” An agent should have clamped down on that long ago (or have it in his contract that pre-roll is cutting floor stuff, it sees the light of day and kerblouey!$!$!) Dumb. Bet it worked a ton too. He’s Morgan f’ing Freeman, that voice is a powerful tool. He’s kinda a tool. sigh (please just not Tom Hanks! just not Tom Hanks! just not Tom Hanks! just not Tom Hanks!)
Powerful people acting like assholes. Color me not surprised at all. I mean look at the президент (‘president’).
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And apparently so is he.
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On the bright side, maybe the high school friend got slapped across the face and/or kicked in the grapes by the 99 who said “no”.
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If it works for famous/rich folks maybe it explains why they’d continue to do it? I don’t know why you’d think anything I wrote would lead one to believe it’s not gross. But honestly I’m not into policing what other people say that closely. If they want to let the world know the type of person they are that’s their business.
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I wish. Although I’m not sure physical assault is really appropriate response.
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I’m not especially surprised, Theodore, that you’re not all that much into caring about the abuses other powerful men inflict on women with mere words. Like most members of socially empowered categories, the sufferings of those in subordinated categories just aren’t your problem, amirite?
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