CNN ready to fight Morgan Freeman over sex claims

Sex claims: Actor Morgan Freeman
REUTERS

CNN’s lawyers have told Morgan Freeman they are willing to go to court after the actor demanded the network retract its report alleging the actor was guilty of sexual misconduct.

Last week the news network published a story claiming the Hollywood legend was guilty of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour towards women.

Freeman, who is 81 today, initially apologised but in a second statement insisted he “did not assault women” before his lawyers demanded the story was retracted. A letter from the star’s lawyer Robert Schwartz targeted Chloe Melas, one of the CNN reporters who wrote the original story and who spoke about her experiences with the actor.

CNN responded with a letter to Schwartz, with senior vice-president of legal David Vigilante saying the demand for a retraction was rife with empty speculation and plainly false assertions. It added: “The overheated protestations in your letter do not cast any shadow on the central gravamen of CNN’s story — that Morgan Freeman engaged in a pattern of behaviour that demeaned and sexualised women.”

A spokesman for Freeman said: “CNN’s letter is long on sabre-rattling but short on substance.

“It fails to address the compelling evidence we provided that the story was tarnished by manipulation of the facts and conflict of interest. It was flawed from its inception and still is.”

CNN spoke to 16 people who made claims about the star’s conduct.

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