The world was beyond thrilled when Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Mahershala Ali and others held an Oscar for the first time at the ceremony on Sunday. But if there was one winner that had more than a few people furrowing their eyebrows in confusion, and maybe anger, it was Casey Affleck.
For his performance in Manchester By The Sea, Affleck picked up the Best Actor Award, even amidst the sexual harassment allegations that kept him silent throughout the awards season. The claims, which originated from two women who worked with Affleck on the 2010 film I’m Still Here, eventually found their way to court, though the lawsuit was ultimately settled privately.
But that didn’t stop social media from criticizing the actor even after his win on Sunday. (See Fresh Off The Boat actress Constance Wu’s angry tweets here) In an interview with the Boston Globe, Affleck stated that both sides were prohibited from commenting and that people don’t know what really went down.
“There’s really nothing I can do about it,” Affleck said in response to the profound backlash. “Other than live my life the way I know I live it and to speak to what my own values are and how I try to live by them all the time”.
He continued, “I believe that any kind of mistreatment of anyone for any reason is unacceptable and abhorrent, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect in the workplace and anywhere else”.
#Peace.Love.CaseyAffleck
