An online petition calling on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to eject Roman Polanski has gathered tens of thousands of signatures, and rightly so.
The Academy
as harassment and assault allegations became an avalanche. The board explained that he doesn’t “merit the respect of his colleagues” and that it wanted “to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over.”
Hmm. Polanski pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old in 1977, and has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct, including the molestation of a 10-year-old girl during a photo shoot.
Yet Hollywood has supported him since he fled the country to avoid prison. He’s made movies ever since, and won multiple Oscar nominations. And when he won Best Director in 2003 for “The Pianist,” the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Some form of “I didn’t know” is one of the most common Tinseltown excuses on Weinstein. But in Polanski’s case, everyone knew — and still they worked with him and even cheered his success.
Hollywood, in short, gave Harvey every reason to think he could get away with it — forever.
