Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster will present the Best Actress award at tomorrow night’s Oscars after Casey Affleck pulled out of the ceremony.
As is tradition, the actor, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in ‘Manchester By the Sea’, was due to present the award but is swerving this year’s bash after claims of sexual harassment were levelled against him.
According to Variety, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made a stand in the ‘year of the woman’ and asked four actresses to present this year’s lead acting awards.
Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren will present the Lead Actor award.
Traditionally, the previous year’s acting winners present the same categories for the opposite gender at the Oscars.
In January, Affleck announced he would not be attending the 90th Academy Awards, reportedly telling the Academy that his presence would be a “distraction”.
“We appreciate the decision to keep the focus on the show and on the great work of this year,” the Academy confirmed in a statement.
Affleck was accused of sexual harassment in two 2010 lawsuits, which came to light when the #MeToo gained momentum.
The producer and cinematographer on Affleck’s 2010 film ‘I’m Not Here’ who brought the allegations against him, settled out of court.
One of his accusers claimed he refused to pay her salary as she had turned down the chance to spend the night in a hotel room with him, adding that she had been subjected to “a nearly daily barrage of sexual comments, innuendo and unwelcome advances by crew members, within the presence and with the active encouragement of Affleck”.