Harvey Weinstein expelled from Oscars academy over allegations of sexual assault
Harvey Weinstein has been expelled from the Oscars organising committee over allegations of sexual assault.
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences board of governors, which includes Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, voted to remove the movie producer in the wake of a litany of accusations from stars across the film world.
The academy said its board "voted well in excess of the required two-thirds majority to immediately expel him".
The emergency board meeting was held after dozens of accusations were made against the producer, including from actresses Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow.
In a statement, the academy said "the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity on sexually predatory behaviour and workplace harassment in our industry is over".
The statement added: "What's at place here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society.
"The Board continues to work to establish ethical standards of conduct that all academy members will be expected to exemplify."
On Monday, the 65-year-old film producer was fired by his own company.
Two days later his wife Georgina Chapman left him, saying the widespread allegations of sexual harassment were "unforgivable".
And in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Saturday, his brother Bob Weinstein, who co-founded The Weinstein Company, said he is in “a waking nightmare” and had no idea “the type of predator” his brother is accused of being.
Since accusations of sexual harassment first emerged last week, Weinstein has faced a series of allegations, including five of rape.
Police forces in both the US and the UK have announced that they are investigating allegations made against the mogul, who has apologised for elements of his past behaviour but strongly denies any claims of non-consensual sex.
Last week, he said: "I realised some time ago that I needed to be a better person and my interactions with the people I work with have changed.
"I appreciate the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologise for it.
"Though I'm trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go. That is my commitment. My journey now will be to learn about myself and conquer my demons."