Cameron Bossert Creates Petition To Bar Casey Affleck From Presenting At The Oscars

An online petition, created by filmmaker Cameron Bossert, is seeking to block Casey Affleck from presenting the Best Actor Oscar next year because of the sexual harassment allegations against him. Bossert started the petition following the many allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who was just last month, removed as a member of from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Affleck won the Academy Award for Best Actor last year for his role in Manchester by the Sea. Tradition holds that the previous year’s winner presents the award at next year’s Oscars.

“Last year despite multiple sexual harassment claims against him, Casey Affleck won the Best Actor award for this role in ‘Manchester by the Sea,'” Bossert wrote. “He had been accused of sexual harassment by two women who worked with him on a 2010 documentary.”

Two women filed sexual harassment lawsuits against the actor in 2010 while on the set of the documentary I’m Still Here. Affleck directed and cowrote the documentary.

Magdalena Gorka, who worked as a cinematographer on the documentary, claimed Affleck joked that she should engage in sexual relations with a camera assistant, The Wrap reported. She alleged she woke up to find Affleck in bed with her wearing nothing but a shirt and underwear while caressing her back.

Amanda White, a producer on the film, claimed Affleck verbally and sexually harassed her and Gorka while on the set, The Guardian reported.

Affleck has denied all wrongdoing and countersued. The Wrap reported that the cases were settled for an undisclosed amount.

Bossert’s petition accumulated 16,000 signatures as of Thursday morning.