There’s been a turn of events in the Morgan Freeman sexual harassment exposé published by CNN last week: Freeman’s lawyer is demanding the network retract the story and apologize to the actor.
Attorney Robert Schwartz sent a letter addressed to CNN President Jeff Zucker arguing that CNN defamed Freeman with journalistic malpractice and “malicious intent.” Schwartz claims CNN’s reporter, Chloe Melas—who said she was a victim of Freeman’s alleged harassment—misinterpreted Freeman’s behavior and “baited and prodded” witnesses to speak negatively about Freeman. Further, Schwartz argues that CNN violated journalistic ethics by allowing Melas to write the story.
“As a supposed victim of the article’s subject, Ms. Melas lacked the requisite impartiality and objectivity to fairly cover the story she was chasing,” Schwartz writes in the letter, which was obtained by Deadline. “Under those circumstances, CNN should not have allowed her to write it.”
Additionally, Schwartz claims Melas’ account, which she detailed during an appearance on CNN’s television network on May 25, was “false” and “based on her imagining that Mr. Freeman had said or done anything to harass her.”
“It is correct that, during the interview, Mr. Freeman said, ‘I wish I was there.’ But Ms. Melas had no factual basis to have interpreted that as a statement about her, or as sexual harassment,” Schwartz writes. “The videotape makes clear that Mr. Freeman was in fact responding to a story that [co-star] Michael Caine had just told.”
CNN told Fortune it stands by the story.
“The unfounded accusations made by Mr. Freeman’s lawyer are disappointing and are difficult to reconcile with Mr. Freeman’s own public statements in the aftermath of the story. CNN stands by its reporting and will respond forcefully to any attempt by Mr. Freeman or his representatives to intimidate us from covering this important public issue,” the outlet said in a statement.
Since the publishing of CNN’s story on Thursday, Freeman lost an advertising partnership with Visa, which included television spots and a partnership with Vancouver’s public transit service, which was set to feature Freeman’s voice for its rider announcements.
In CNN’s story, eight women alleged that Freeman sexually harassed or made inappropriate comments to them. Eight other people said they witnessed the alleged misconduct, according to CNN.
Freeman apologized for his behavior on Thursday in the immediate aftermath of the story. Over the weekend, he released a longer statement that denied he harassed or assaulted women.
“I admit that I am someone who feels a need to try to make women — and men — feel appreciated and at ease around me,” Freeman said. “As a part of that, I would often try to joke with and compliment women, in what I thought was a light-hearted and humorous way.
“Clearly I was not always coming across the way I intended,” Freeman continued. “And that is why I apologized Thursday and will continue to apologize to anyone I might have upset, however unintentionally.
“But I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments,” Freeman added. “I did not assault women. I did not offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is completely false.”
