Visa announced Friday that it will stop airing commercials featuring the Oscar-winning actor, Morgan Freeman, after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced on Thursday.Â
“We are aware of the allegations that have been made against Mr Freeman,†a Visa spokesman told The New York Times in a statement. “At this point, Visa will be suspending our marketing in which the actor is featuredâ€.
Freeman, who has done voice-over work for the credit card company for years, was accused by eight women of harassment or inappropriate behaviour. Eight others told CNN they had witnessed Freeman's conduct on-set.
The 80-year-old actor and narrator are also under review by the actors union SAG-Aftra, which is reportedly reconsidering the lifetime achievement award it gave Freeman in January.
“Any accused person has the right to due process, but it is our starting point to believe the courageous voices who come forward to report incidents of harassment", a union spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Freeman has denied the harassment allegations, but apologized on Thursday "to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected."Â
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thehill.com