Oscar-winning screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan has said Casey Affleck has been “treated abominably” in the wake of the Me Too movement.
Affleck, who won the best actor Academy Award in 2017 with the Lonergan-directed Manchester By The Sea, stepped down from presenting duties at the ceremony this year as the industry faced a reckoning over its sexual harassment problem.
The actor, 42, has faced scrutiny since it emerged he was sued by two women who accused him of sexual harassment while making the 2010 film I’m Still Here. He denied the allegations and settled the lawsuit out of court.
Variety reported that Lonergan defended Affleck at an event in New York on Wednesday, while also expressing his support for the movement that seized international attention in the wake of Harvey Weinstein’s downfall.
“I couldn’t be more all for the #MeToo movement and I couldn’t feel more strongly that he’s (Affleck) been treated abominably. It’s not good for anybody,” Lonergan, 55, said.
“People really don’t know what they are talking about, I’m afraid.
“And I’m afraid they are doing it in the name of a very good cause.”
Lonergan, also known for co-writing Gangs Of New York, won the best original screenplay Oscar for the film starring Affleck.
Tradition dictates that the best actor winner from the previous year presents the best actress award.
But Affleck was replaced at last month’s ceremony by Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster as Hollywood faced intense scrutiny over its treatment of women.