Filmmaker Roman Polanski has a long, controversial history, dating back to his decades-old conviction of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and his decision to flee the country instead of serving his sentence. But his past was recently brought back into the light thanks to the #MeToo movement, which has reminded the world of Polanski’s transgressions. And due to this increased visibility, Polanski has seen his credibility in Hollywood evaporate, with the final nail in the coffin being his expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
It’s that decision by the Academy which has really gotten under the skin of Polanski, who went on to file a lawsuit against the organization for unlawfully getting rid of him and doing so without giving the filmmaker a chance to defend himself. However, it would appear that the director’s claims that he wasn’t given due process might have been a bit exaggerated.
Attorney John Quinn, representing the AMPAS, wrote a response to the lawsuit, presenting what the Academy refers to as a “fair and reasonable” process in which the organization allowed Polanski the chance to defend himself and petition for reinstatement.
According to the Academy’s submitted response (via THR), the filmmaker “presented a ten-page letter from his lawyer advocating his position, over four hundred pages of supporting documents, a copy of a documentary titled ‘Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,’ an email from his counsel, and a recorded video statement by Petitioner addressing the Board. All of these materials were presented to the Board of Governors, who voted on January 26, 2019 to uphold Petitioner’s expulsion by a more than two-thirds supermajority.”
All that to say, Polanski did have the chance to ask for reinstatement and was given the opportunity to prove his side of the incident. However, not even the laundry list of evidence and a video statement were able to sway the Board.
The filmmaker and his wife, actress Emmanuelle Seigner, have been very vocal about their disgust with the Academy’s decision and their insistence that he wasn’t given a fair shake. It’ll be interesting to see how they respond to this latest development, as Polanski has been steadfast in his position that he was kicked out without due process. If the Academy is to be believed, then it would appear he was given an opportunity to defend himself, but the Board just wasn’t convinced.
Polanski is reportedly in production of his next film, “An Officer and a Spy,” at this time.
