I did not assault women: Morgan Freeman
Los Angeles, May 26 : Legendary actor Morgan Freeman, who has been accused of sexual harassment by eight women, has said he did not create "unsafe work environment" and he did not "assault women".
Through his publicist Stan Rosenfield, Freeman came out with a statement on Friday, reported variety.com.
The statement read: "I am devastated that 80 years of my life is at risk of being undermined, in the blink of an eye, by Thursday's media reports."
"All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard. And we need to listen to them. But it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humour.
"I admit that I am someone who feels a need to try to make women-and men-feel appreciated and at ease around me. As a part of that, I would often try to joke with and compliment women, in what I thought was a light-hearted and humorous way."
The Oscar winning actor said that he was not always coming across the way he intended.
"And that is why I apologised Thursday and will continue to apologise to anyone I might have upset, however unintentionally," he added.
"But I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments. I did not assault women. I did not offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is completely false," Morgan concluded.
A CNN report has quoted multiple women, including journalists, describing troubling incidents throughout the 80-year-old actor's career that spans nearly five decades.
Following the allegations, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is in the process of determining if any action will be necessary regarding its lifetime achievement award recipient.
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Karnataka CM, political leaders remember Saroja Devi as 'Abhinaya Saraswati'
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and several political leaders have expressed grief over the death of veteran South Indian actress B Saroja Devi, remembering her as "Abhinaya Saraswati", as she was fondly addressed.
Saroja Devi died on Monday at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. She was 87.
She has worked in over 200 Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi films.
Siddaramaiah, in his condolence message posted on X, said her departure is a great loss to the Indian cinema.
"The news of the death of veteran Kannada actress B Saroja Devi is painful. She acted in about 200 Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada language films and was known as Abhinaya Saraswati," he said.
When we think of Saroja Devi, her soulful performances in films like Kittur Chennamma, Babruvahana, Anna Thangi come to mind, he said. She entertained moviegoers for decades.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, also on X, "A loving farewell to Abhinaya Saraswathi."
"The news of the demise of senior Kannada actress B Saroja Devi, popularly known as Abhinaya Saraswathi, is painful. She acted in five languages and served the film industry for 6 decades," he said.
Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, expressing grief, said her passing away is an irreparable loss not only to Kannada but also to the entire Indian cinema.
Stating that Saroja Devi was recognized as one of the greatest actresses of the Indian film industry, former CM Basavaraj Bommai said, "She had acted in many mythological and historical films and was a household name among Kannadigas. Her portrayal of Kittur Chennamma is still remembered by everyone."
Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards were sought after for her achievements, he said.
