Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein has been formally kicked out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body behind The Oscars, after a special meeting held in Los Angeles on Saturday morning.
The board voted “well in excess of the required two-thirds majority” to expel the 65-year-old producer, in light of the recent sexual assault allegations against him. In a statement to the media, the Academy explained its decision, saying:
“We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over. What’s at issue here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society. The board continues to work to establish ethical standards of conduct that all Academy members will be expected to exemplify.”
This is only the second time the Academy has expelled a member – the first was in 2004, when actor Carmine Caridi was kicked out for violating anti-piracy rules, after sharing screener copies of films in consideration for Oscars.
The statement about ethical standards has raised some eyebrows, in light of the fact that Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and Mel Gibson are current members, and all have faced a variety of serious allegations, from domestic violence to sexual assault.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Bruce Feldman from the Academy’s public relations branch admitted that “this raises questions about Polanski and Cosby and lord knows who else”, but there has been no further action suggested at this stage.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts suspended Weinstein earlier this week, saying that his behaviour is “completely unacceptable and incompatible with Bafta’s values.”
