"People say whatever they want," Affleck said. "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."
While Mr. Affleck publicly denied the allegations made in the lawsuit, he settled out of court with both women, through the use of a mediator.
The Academy Awards has a history of turning down nominations, based on an actor's past actions or words. Even those deeds committed in the film professional's personal life may compel the Academy Awards panel to withdraw an actor or filmmaker from consideration, as was the case with Nate Parker and Birth of a Nation. It's still conjecture at this point, but it seems unlikely that Affleck would be permitted to receive a nomination with a history of sexual harassment and little justice for the victims of his behavior.
The Academy Awards have become almost as cutthroat as political campaigns with smear tactics employed to slant the nominations, so it's not surprising that Affleck's past has come back to haunt him. Even if Casey does receive the Oscar nomination for Manchester by the Sea, his past may color the opinions of those selecting the winner. After all, we're seeing greater transparency in Hollywood and the public will be watching to see if Casey Affleck is to be rewarded by a system that has all but forgotten about his victims, Amanda White and Magdalena Gorka.
[Featured Image by Robin Marchant/Getty Images]