LOS ANGELES: Hollywood movie star Morgan Freeman apologised on Thursday over reports that multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct.

Sixteen people — eight of whom say they were victims — described to CNN a variety of troubling behaviour on production sets or on promotional tours over Morgan’s career.

“Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy,” Freeman said in a statement. “I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent.”

The cable television network quoted a young production assistant who says Morgan harassed her over a period of months in the summer of 2015, while she was working on his bank heist comedy “Going in Style.” Morgan got freaked out and didn’t know what to say,” the woman said.

Freeman is the latest in a litany of Hollywood celebrities and other high-profile public figures accused of sexual misconduct since revelations about alleged serial abuser Harvey Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement last year.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2018