The envelope imbroglio wasn’t the only controversy on Oscar night. Casey Affleck‘s win for Best Actor was a sour note for many who haven’t forgotten his sexual harassment lawsuits from 2010, cases which were both settled out of court with the producer and cinematographer of the faux-doc “I’m Still Here.” Affleck has addressed the charges against him a handful of times across the awards season, most recently with the Boston Globe, but it’s done little to quell those who believe he’s managed to avoid any serious career fallout from the allegations.
Last week, The Wesleyan Argus published an op-ed from Connor Aberle titled, “How Wesleyan is Complicit in Affleck’s Sexual Misconduct by Endorsing Lonergan.” It makes the argument that the school, by congratulating Lonergan (Class of ’84), is by nature of the director’s connection to Affleck and his performance in “Manchester By The Sea,” complicit in the actor’s past actions. Lonergan wasn’t buying it, and penned a fiery letter to the editor about the piece, defending Affleck. Here’s an excerpt of what he had to say:
READ MORE: Best Actor Oscar Winner Casey Affleck Addresses Sexual Harassment Allegations
Connor Aberle’s article about myself, Casey Affleck and Wesleyan’s supposed complicity in condoning sexual misconduct – and worse – by touting me as a Wesleyan alumn after I won an Oscar last week is such a tangle of illogic, misinformation and flat-out slander that only the author’s presumed youth can possibly excuse his deeply offensive display of ignorance, and warped PC-fuelled sense of indignation.
He writes as if Casey Affleck were actually guilty of a crime. In fact, it was alleged 7 years ago, in a civil lawsuit for breach of contract, that Casey sexually harassed two women formerly in his employ. Casey denounced the allegations as being totally fabricated. Like most civil suits, this one was settled out of court by mutual consent on undisclosed terms. In other words nothing was proved or disproved.
You can read the full letter right here, and share your thoughts in the comments section.
