Bill Cosby & Roman Polanski Are Expelled From The Motion Picture Academy

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars, has voted to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski from its membership ranks. This follows a decision from earlier this week by the TV Academy to remove Cosby’s name and statue from its Hall of Fame.

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AMPAS’ statement regarding the decision can be read below:

“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct. The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”

Cosby was recently convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand and has faced accusations from many other women. Polanski was charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 1977, and the case has remained pending for decades ever since he fled the United States.

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Polanski won the Best Director Oscar for 2002’s The Pianist, and he has four other career nominations. The Academy’s statement does not mention whether or not those honors will be retroactively removed.