Oscars Academy expels Cosby, Polanski
May 3, 2018
Actor Bill Cosby and Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski were expelled from the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the academy said in a statement Thursday.
The organization that bestows the Oscars said its board of governors voted to expel the pair "in accordance with the organization's standards of conduct."
The academy recently revised its code of conduct in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal.
The disgraced Hollywood producer was also removed by the Academy in October following a series of sexual harassment, assault and rape allegations by more than two dozen actresses, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Read more: Hollywood's open dirty secret: Why Harvey Weinstein isn't an outlier
Sexual offenders
Polanski, who won a Best Director Oscar for his movie "The Pianist," pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl during a photo shoot in 1977. He remains a fugitive after fleeing the United States in 1978. Polanski has since been accused of sexual misconduct by several women.
The 80-year-old Cosby was convicted last week of sexual assault in Pennsylvania. The comedian was found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting 45-year-old Andrea Constand, a former women's basketball administrator.
In a statement, the Oscars body said its board "continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the academy's values of respect for human dignity."
The organization's new code, which was adopted in December, stipulates there is no place in the academy for "people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates standards of decency."
ap/sms (Reuters, AP, dpa)