Time’s up for Bill Cosby.
After a lengthy court battle that has dragged on since 2015, 80-year old comedian and actor Bill Cosby was declared guilty on three counts of sexual assault. Shortly after his sentencing, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences followed up by expelling Cosby from their membership, citing its standards of conduct for their expulsion.
“The board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity,” the Academy said in a released statement.
But Cosby was not the only one the Academy expelled from their ranks. Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski was also expelled from the Academy as well, for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl in the late 70’s. Polanski is most known for directing Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown, and The Pianist, the last of which won him an Oscar for Best Director in 2003.
Given the Academy’s more recent escapade with media mogul and pig excretion Harvey Weinstein, this marks the second time the Academy has taken action against sexual predators working in the entertainment industry. It’s action that has been long overdue. Cosby was first accused of sexual assault in 1980 when the first incidents took place, then again in 2014 after a resurgence of accusers mounted against him. Polanski was charged for his assault in 1977, but fled the country before he could be sentenced.
It took a long time for the Academy to finally respond to these men’s vicious crimes. Better late than never, I suppose.
– David Dunn
SOURCE: Reuters, CBS News
DAVID DUNN 