While Casey Affleck has kept further away from the spotlight than his brother Ben, he has achieved impressive success in his acting career. From a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford to his lauded performance in the upcoming drama Manchester by the Sea, he chases challenging roles in the industry.
However while many are aware of his success, many wouldn’t be aware of the sexual-harassment allegations against him.
Two separate women have accused Casey Affleck of sexual harassment in 2010, with one citing that his treatment of her on set was “the most traumatising of her career.” The alleged incidents occurred on the set of mockumentary I’m Still Here, and he was sued for $2 million and $2.25 million.
The women in question were producer Amanda White and cinematographer Magdalena Gorka. White outlined in her complaint that Affleck had verbally and physically harassed her during filming, alleging that he had tried to get her to come to a hotel room with him, and “grabbed her in a hostile manner in an effort to intimidate her into complying.”
Gorka’s complaint included similar incidents, such as one in which she woke up to find Affleck “lying in bed next to her”. She added that “he had his arm around her, was caressing her back, his face was within inches of hers and his breath reeked of alcohol.”
Affleck denied all allegations after the lawsuits were filed, and while he threatened to countersue, he eventually agreed to settle both cases. Affleck told the New York Times, “it was settled to the satisfaction of all. I was hurt and upset — I am sure all were — but I am over it.” He added that it was “an unfortunate situation — mostly for the innocent bystanders of the families of those involved.”
Affleck was married to Summer Phoenix at the time of the allegations, but they split earlier this year.
Many publications, such as NY Mag’s The Cut, the Daily Beast, Mic, and Mashable have urged critics not to forget the allegations. They have suggested that the media has ‘largely ignored’ the allegations since they were settled, and that this is due to his position of privilege.
Affleck recently told the New York Times, “I have no desire to be famous at all”. He has certainly been cautious about what movies her puts himself forward for, and colleague and friend Matt Damon has described him as “somewhat humble and doesn’t like to talk about himself that much or as much as other actors do.”
But make no mistake, the allegations have not prevented Affleck from finding work and achieving success. Affleck will likely be nominated for another Oscar in Manchester By The Sea. However it’s important to remember that he may not be the person we think he is.
