Presenter Brie Larson refused to clap for the actor when presenting him the Best Actor award.
Casey Affleck has a lot to celebrate and a lot to worry about at the same time. The actor won the coveted Academy Award for Best Actor for his riveting performance in Manchester by the Sea beating contemporaries Denzel Washington for Fences, Ryan Gosling for La La Land, Andrew Garfield for Hacksaw Ridge and Viggo Mortensen for Captain Fantastic.
However, critics are unimpressed with Affleck’s win, not because of his acting capabilities but because of the sexual harassment charges filed against him by two women back in 2010. These charges were brought forward by two women who were present on the set of I’m Still Here.
Affleck has categorically denied the allegations in the past. He spoke to the New York Times in 2016 and said, “It was settled to the satisfaction of all. I was hurt and upset—I am sure all were—but I am over it. It was an unfortunate situation—mostly for the innocent bystanders of the families of those involved.” He later went on to say to Variety: “People say whatever they want. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how you respond... I guess people think if you’re well-known, it’s perfectly fine to say anything you want. I don’t know why that is. But it shouldn’t be because everybody has families and lives.”
It was perhaps because of these allegations that actress Brie Larson, an advocate for sexual assault survivors, refused to clap for Affleck after presenting him with the award.
However, Larson isn’t the only one who seems to disagree with Affleck’s win: social media and critics are just as displeased with the Academy’s controversial decision to let Affleck win an award.
Critics are arguing that Affleck shouldn’t have been nominated in the first place, let alone be declared a winner for the simple reason: this Oscar win will now give Affleck more publicity, credibility and power in Hollywood and his sexual offences will go ignored. Also, once he gains more influence in Hollywood, he will become ‘untouchable’ where the voices of women will go unnoticed.
Others are arguing that Affleck’s nomination is further proof of the Academy’s habit of ignoring harassment allegations. This can be seen with the way Mel Gibson received an Oscar nomination despite the fact that Gibson pled no contest to misdemeanor battery in 2011 for hitting his ex-girlfriend repeatedly in the face, according to Time.
