The actor and director Roman Polanski have been expelled 'from its membership in accordance with the organisation's Standards of Conduct.'
- May 4, 2018
AceShowbiz - Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski have been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "The Cosby Show" star's expulsion comes days after he was convicted of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home in Pennsylvania 14 years ago.
"The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Board of Governors met on Tuesday night, May 1, and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organisation's Standards of Conduct," a statement reads. "The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy's values of respect for human dignity."
Cosby was also recently stripped of his Television Academy Hall of Fame honour, while his honorary degrees from Yale and Temple universities have been rescinded.
Meanwhile, Polanski remains a fugitive from justice after fleeing the U.S. in 1977 before sentencing, after he was accused of having anal sex with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer at a Hollywood party.
Polanski was indicted on charges of rape, sodomy, and furnishing drugs to a minor. He was offered a deal and pleaded guilty only to unlawful intercourse. He served 42 days in prison and fled the country while he was awaiting formal sentencing.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' board of governors rarely expels members from the organisation, but Cosby and Polanski join disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and assault from several women, including actresses Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan, and Salma Hayek.
Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex, while Cosby maintains he is innocent and is planning to appeal the guilty verdict.
