The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which runs the Oscars, voted to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski from its membership ranks, the organization revealed on Thursday.
"The board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity," the organization said in a statement.
Citing its new "standards of conduct" taken up in the aftermath of the allegations against Harvey Weinstein that sent a fault line through Tinseltown, the Academy's board of governors voted to expel the pair of powerful Hollywood men at its meeting on Tuesday, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Weinstein, who was expelled last year from the film organization, was only the second person to be removed in the Academy's long history. It recently celebrated its 90th anniversary in March.
Cosby, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand last week, was never honored by the Oscars. But one week following his conviction, the action the Academy took against the comedian and actor was swift, especially when compared to Polanski.
Polanski, a five-time Oscar nominee, will reportedly be allowed to keep his 2003 Academy Award for directing "The Pianist." When he won, the director had already fled the U.S. 25 years earlier after pleading guilty to statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl. Polanski, who has since been living in France, has been honored by the Academy three times since his 1977 plea deal.
Both Cosby and Polanski have faced sexual misconduct allegations by numerous accusers.
The expulsions point to the work of #MeToo – and to a watershed cultural moment where individuals and institutions are finally being held accountable to allegations of perpetrating sexual violence. Separating the artist from the person is no longer a sufficient excuse for prioritizing a sexual predator over victims of abuse.
On social media, many Twitter users questioned the length of time that it took for the Academy to respond, particularly in the case of Polanski.
Hell yeah, @TheAcademy has expelled Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski. Took y’all long enough, though. pic.twitter.com/lkCypndVaq
— BitchMedia (@BitchMedia) May 3, 2018
Meanwhile, others wondered if Woody Allen would be next.
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