Actress Constance Wu has lead criticism against the Oscars' Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, after its voters awarded a Best Actor nomination to Casey Affleck despite ongoing controversy over past sexual misconduct claims against the actor.
In a series of widely-shared tweets, the Fresh Off The Boat star – who's regularly spoken out on Hollywood's problems with race and gender diversity – mocked the nomination and criticised the Academy for choosing to "reinforce the industry's gross and often hidden mistreatment of women".
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"Men who sexually harass women 4 Oscar! Bc good acting performance matters more than humanity, human integrity!" she wrote.
"Boys! Buy ur way out of trouble by settling out of court! Just do a good acting job, that's all that matters!" she added.
Men who sexually harass women 4 OSCAR! Bc good acting performance matters more than humanity,human integrity!Bc poor kid rly needs the help!
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) January 24, 2017
Boys! BUY ur way out of trouble by settling out of court!Just do a good acting job,thats all that matters!bc Art isn't about humanity,right?
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) January 24, 2017
Others online echoed Wu's criticisms, calling Affleck a "sexual deviant" and saying he "doesn't deserve any praise or award".
casey affleck has sexually harassed multiple people. he doesnt deserve any praise or award, yet alone an oscar nomination, he's disgusting.
— alina (@glossyfilm) January 24, 2017
tell me again how being accused of sexual assault can ruin a man's career #CaseyAffleck
— Bad Sea (@badseaband) January 24, 2017
An admitted sexual abuser is our president and Casey Affleck and Mel Gibson just got nominated for Oscars. Happy Tuesday, everyone!
— AKA Kalinda Sharma (@Nico_Lang) January 24, 2017
Affleck - who was nominated for Best Actor for the Matt Damon-produced Manchester By The Sea, the same category he won at the Golden Globes earlier this month – was accused of sexual harassment by two women who worked with him during the 2009 filming of I'm Still Here, his mockumentary with former brother-in-law Joaquin Phoenix.
Both suits were dismissed in 2010 after being settled out of court, but the allegations have resurfaced following the actor's recent critically-lauded run, with online commenters questioning the media's reluctance to press the actor on the issue.
The controversy has also raised criticisms of racist double standards, after the industry turned so heavily on early Oscar contender Birth Of A Nation when 1999 rape charges against director Nate Parker while a student at Penn State University resurfaced last year.
Parker, shunned since the ugly story and his flippant response came to light, was this week nominated for a Directors Guild of America award for "top first-time director", his first honour of the awards season.
"Right, he's not running for Prez," Wu wrote in response to detractors questioning her criticism of Affleck, "[but] he's running for an award that honours a craft whose purpose is examining the dignity of the human experience and young women are deeply human.
"I've been counselled not to talk about this for career's sake. F my career then, I'm a woman and human first," she added.
Here's a thing I wrote during an convo w/ @PeterShinkoda about how Casey Affleck's win will be a nod to Trump's. pic.twitter.com/FjrRsniS9d
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) January 24, 2017
I've been counseled not to talk about this for career's sake. F my career then, I'm a woman & human first. That's what my craft is built on.
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) January 24, 2017
A similar debate was raised in France this week, after Roman Polanski was named jury president for the upcoming Cesar Awards, France's version of the Oscars.
The director, 83, who is still facing charges in the US of raping a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles in 1977, stepped down from the role following calls from women's groups to boycott the event and a petition demanding his removal received over 60,000 signatures.