The accusers allege that Freeman subjected them to various inappropriate acts, such as unwanted touching and public—and at times sexual—comments about their bodies, CNN reports. Eight other people told the outlet they witnessed Freeman’s alleged behavior, bringing the total of people describing his alleged conduct up to 16. They said the alleged acts happened over the span of several years on movie sets, interviews, and at his production company, Revelations Entertainment.
One woman, who was working as production assistant on the Freeman-starring film Going In Style in 2015, told CNN that he “kept trying to lift up my skirt and asking if I was wearing underwear.” She said after repeated attempts which she rebuffed, Freeman’s co-star Alan Arkin “made a comment telling him to stop. Morgan got freaked out and didn’t know what to say.”
Another woman working as a senior production team member on the movie Now You See Me in 2012 said Freeman made multiple inappropriate comments about her and her female assistant.
“He did comment on our bodies… We knew that if he was coming by … not to wear any top that would show our breasts, not to wear anything that would show our bottoms, meaning not wearing clothes that [were] fitted,” she told CNN.
Multiple women accused Freeman of making lewd comments while they interviewed him. Others said he acted inappropriately inside the workplace of Revelations Entertainment. Some of that behavior was allegedly directed toward its co-founder and Freeman’s business partner, Lori McCreary. While she is also said to have witnessed one incident involving other women, former employees said Freeman and McCreary created a “toxic” work environment. McCreary allegedly discriminated against a female job candidate at the Producers Guild for America, of which McCreary is co-president.
According to CNN, Freeman’s representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comments. Fortune has also reached out and will update this story if there is a response.
A spokesperson for McCreary did not respond to CNN about the accusations against Freeman, though the PGA told the news outlet that allegations about her own behavior toward a job candidate have “no merit…. she has been a consistent, vocal, and proactive advocate for women and all who are underrepresented in our community.”
Freeman, 80, is one of Hollywood’s biggest names. He is an Academy Award winner and has starred in numerous critically and commercially successful films, including Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption, and Million Dollar Baby.
