There’s an overflow of controversy pervading Hollywood right now.
The Writers Guild of America is at war with the Association of Talent Agents over packaging fees that caused many writers to fire their agents and then the Academy Awards is seriously reconsidering eligibility for streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon for coveted top awards.
And now fugitive filmmaker Roman Polanski filed suit against the U.S. Motion Picture Academy – the institution responsible for the Oscars – for an eye-popping reason.
You may already know the story of infamous filmmaker Roman Polanski.
On March 11th 1977, just three years removed from directing his smash hit “Chinatown,” Polanski was arrested in Beverly Hills for sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl that occurred at Jack Nicholson’s home while he was out of town.
Polanski quickly agreed to a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to “unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.”
That didn’t stop him from making movies though. He’s made approximately twentyfive movies since that fateful year and even won an Oscar for Best Director for “The Pianist” in 2002 when those in attendance gave him a standing ovation in his absence. Figures, right?
The Academy has done a 180 since then and revoked his membership a year ago at the height of the Me Too Movement for sexual misconduct along with disgraced comedian Bill Cosby. Yes, they waited that long to finally act.
But Polanski petitioned Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday to restore his membership in the organization.
The five-page filing accused the Academy of not giving sufficient notice of his expulsion and they “failed to comply with its own rules, policies, and regulations.” It also noted California law requires that corporations are required to give a fair hearing before removal.
The Academy fired back with a brief statement saying, “The procedures taken to expel Mr. Polanski were fair and reasonable. The Academy stands behind its decision as appropriate.”
Polanski’s action was a remarkable level of delusion. It’s also shameless as if to say he really believes that he’s entitled to anything in America, regardless if it’s the Academy.
America owes him nothing.
When the Academy expelled disgraced super-producer Harvey Weinstein for his alleged felony rape charges, the organization said “people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates standards of decency.”
The “Rosemary’s Baby” director falls right into the category.
And yet, he has the audacity to sue the U.S. Motion Pictures Academy? That is simply mind-blowing.