Morgan Freeman issues new statement after sexual harassment accusations

"All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard," he wrote

Morgan Freeman has issued a new statement in response to numerous sexual harassment allegations against him.

Freeman has been accused of harrassment and inappropriate behaviour by eight different women, according to CNN.

One alleged victim worked as a production assistant on the set of 2017’s Going In Style and said she was subjected to months of harassment at the hands of Freeman, including unwanted touching and comments about her figure.

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Freeman released a shorter statement on Thursday (May 24), saying: “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 has now released a longer statement, through his publicist Stan Rosenfield.

“I am devastated that 80 years of my life is at risk of being undermined, in the blink of an eye, by Thursday’s media reports,” the statement begins.

“All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard. And we need to listen to them. But it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humor.

“I admit that I am someone who feels a need to try to make women–and men–feel appreciated and at ease around me. As a part of that, I would often try to joke with and compliment women, in what I thought was a light-hearted and humorous way.

“Clearly I was not always coming across the way I intended. And that is why I apologized Thursday and will continue to apologize to anyone I might have upset, however unintentionally.

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“But I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments. I did not assault women. I did not offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is complete false.”

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