Morgan Freeman Releases Statement In Response To Harassment Allegations [VIDEO]

In response to the sexual harassment accusations made by eight different women against Morgan Freeman, the actor released a second statement addressing his behavior.

“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 humor.”

Freeman then tried to justify his inappropriate behavior by excusing it with humor.

“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.”

One production assistant told CNN that Freeman always commented on her body and often would caress her lower back while working on the set of Going In Style.

“[He] kept trying to lift up my skirt and asking if I was wearing underwear,” she alleged. Additionally, she said Freeman’s co-star Alan Arkin “made a comment telling him to stop.”

The single accuser who spoke on the record, Chloe Melas, said Freeman harassed her while she interviewed him for CNN for the same movie the production assistant worked on.

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Melas, pregnant at the time, alleged that Freeman looked her up and down and said something along the lines of “Boy do I wish I was there.”

Ultimately, Freeman has denied all accusations of assault.

“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,” Freeman said in a statement. “Any suggestion that I did so is completely false.”

Since the allegations surfaced, Visa has ended its marketing campaign with Freeman.