Morgan Freeman's lawyer has some demands for CNN after the news site published a report about eight women accusing the famed actor of sexual misconduct.
"At a minimum, CNN immediately needs to issue a retraction and apologize to Mr. Freeman through the same channels, and with the same level of attention, that it used to unjustly attack him on May 24," reads the 10-page letter from attorney Robert M. Schwartz, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. "CNN also needs to retract the portions of the story that concern Lori McCreary and apologize to her for defaming and injuring her."
The letter went on to address the alleged victims named in the report including CNN's entertainment reporter, Chloe Melas. It states that Melas had "no reasonable basis to have interpreted what Mr. Freeman said or did at the Going In Style interview last year as having been directed at her or as any form of harassment."
Tyra Martin and Lori McCreary were also identified in the piece. The attorney says the former has stated CNN "misrepresented" what she told them, while both reportedly claimed he "never harassed" them. Freeman's attorney also accused Melas, who co-wrote the piece, of having a predetermined agenda.
"Ms. Melas baited and prodded supposed 'witnesses' to say bad things about Mr. Freeman and tried to get them to confirm her bias against him," it read. "Thus, no reader of the article can have any confidence that any of the anonymous sources, which make up the balance of CNN’s article, can be relied upon at all."
Freeman has since denied the allegations in two different statements and apologized to "anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected."
"All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard. And we need to listen to them. But it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humor," read his latest statement. "But I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments. 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."
