Roman Polanski Blasts #MeToo and Threatens to Sue Academy
*By Max Godnick*
Movie fans are used to hearing stars thank the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but it's rare for an Oscar winner to say he wants to sue it.
The Academy-award winning director Roman Polanski threatened to take legal action against the Academy after it voted May 3 to expel him from its ranks.
The expulsion comes more than 40 years after Polanski, the filmmaker behind "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown," pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl, and 16 years since the Academy honored him as best director for "The Pianist."
Polanski's lawyer, Harland Braun, said in a letter to the Academy obtained by the [Hollywood Reporter] (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/roman-polanskis-attorney-threatens-sue-academy-directors-expulsion-1109821) that the Academy did not give his client a chance to argue his case.
The Academy revised its rules in January, with new guidelines for membership and standards of conduct after accusations of sexual assault and harassment against the Academy member Harvey Weinstein. The revelations about Weinstein's conduct led to the widespread #MeToo movement, which Polanski called "collective hysteria" and "total hypocrisy."
"I think that it's the height of hypocrisy for a known pedophile and a sex offender to disparage and criticize people that have come forward after being sexually abused by powerful people in the media and Hollywood," said Jennifer Cunningham, senior editor at the African-American-focused entertainment news site Bossip.
So why did it take the Academy so many years to take action?
"I think they did not have a choice at this point," said Cunningham, in an interview with Cheddar. "Especially with Bill Cosby's conviction, maybe they were just trying to clean house and really distance themselves from these individuals."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expelled Cosby and Polanski on the same day.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/bill-and-ted-reunite-for-a-threequel).
Sheila Goffe, VP of Government Relations of the American Kennel Club, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss the efficacy of police, military, and other working dogs, and how they're trained.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Sheila Goffe, VP of Government Relations of the American Kennel Club, discusses the efficacy of police, military, and other working dogs, and how they're trained. Paul Mundell, Executive Director of the American Service Dog Access Coalition, breaks down why emotional support, therapy, and service dogs are important; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Secrets of a Dog's Nose.'
On this episode of ChedHER; Amanda Carlson Phillips, Senior Vice President of Exos' performance team, breaks down how wellness programs can fight burnout; Deena LaMarque Piquion, Chief Marketing Officer at Xerox, explains why and how women should stop saying 'sorry' so often;
Marylyn Harris, President of Harrland Healthcare Consulting, talks about how her experience in the military prepared her for a cybersecurity career, and how she's paving the way for women of color in the industry.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Atom Limbs CEO breaks down how the Atom Touch prosthetic is different from other prosthetics on the market; CEO & Chief Scientific Officer of MyMD explains how the MYMD-1 is on track to be the first FDA-approved drug to treat aging and age-related diseases; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Future of Warfare.'
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals Clay Routledge, Professor of Business and author of "Nostalgia: A Psychological Resource", discusses the psychology of nostalgia: why we have it, and why it may be good for our mental health; Patrick Metzger, Writer and Technologist, breaks down how nostalgia has influenced pop culture, why it remains in a trend loop for every generation, and why that trend is likely never going to end; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Year That Rocked the World.'
On this episode of ChedHER: CEO of The Lactation Network breaks down how they are expanding access to lactation support for families nationwide; CEO of Vanta explains the importance of a security team for startups; Midwest Divison Area Manager at JPMorgan Chase discusses the perks of having a business mentor.
On this episode of ChedHER we hear from the CEO of Incredible Health on how she's breaking the bias this women's history month, a bestselling author gives us tips on how to create new post-pandemic habits, and we learn just how critical a business consultant can be.
On this episode of 'Cheddar Innovates': Creator of Animal Flow discusses the benefits to this unique type of workout that's rising in popularity; CEO of Vinylly breaks down how the app takes your streaming music data and some personal questions to find your next love match; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'Secrets of the Universe.'
Activism is growing around the country in response to school boards banning books from shelves that focus on sexuality, gender, identity, or race. Jen Cousins, co-founder of The Florida Freedom to Read Project, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
