Academy of Motion Pictures expels convicted indecent assaulter Bill Cosby and accused director Roman Polanski
- On Thursday the group behind the Oscars announced it had voted to expel comedian Bill Cosby, 80, and director Roman Polanski, 84
- Cosby was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault last week
- Polanski admitted to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977
- They are the first two members to be ousted for violating a code of conduct that the Academy adopted in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal last fall
Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby and Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski have been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group behind the Oscars announced Thursday.
Cosby and Polanski are the first known members expelled for violating a code of conduct that the Academy adopted in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal last fall.
Last week Cosby, 80, was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault.
Polanski, 84, fled the US in 1978 after being charged with statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl.
Ousting the longtime members is the latest action by the group in response to an outpouring of allegations of sexual harassment or assault within the entertainment industry.
Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby, 80, left, and Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski, 84, right, have been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Last week Cosby was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He is pictured above with his wide Camille outside the courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania
In 1977 Polanski admitted to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. The French-Polish director is pictured on the set of The Pianist in 2001 in Warsaw, Poland
At its most recent meeting on May 1 the Academy's board of governors voted to expel the comedian and the director for violating the Standards of Conduct adopted in December.
'The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy's values of respect for human dignity,' a statement released Thursday read.
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Despite never having won an Oscar, Cosby has been a member of the Academy for many years.
The 80-year-old is best known for his fatherly role on the 1980s sitcom The Cosby Show, and he has also starred in more than a dozen movies since the early 70s, including Jack, The Meteor Man and Fat Albert.
Cosby, right, and Polanski, left, were expelled from the Academy for violating its code of conduct, which amended following the outpouring of allegations of sexual misconduct within the entertainment industry last fall
Cosby's reputation as 'America's Dad' has taken a beating in the last year as more than 60 women have come forward and accused him of sexual misconduct dating back four decades.
On April 26, a jury found Cosby guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and molesting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia-area home in 2004.
Cosby faces up to 10 years in prison for each count but will most likely serve the sentences concurrently.
A sentencing date has not yet been set and Cosby is currently out on bail.
On Thursday he was also removed from the Television Academy's list of Hall of Fame honorees, and it was announced that a statue of him once installed in the Academy's Hall of Fame Plaza, which had been removed during renovations, will not be returned to the site.
Cosby is best known for his role on the 80s sitcom The Cosby Show. His reputation has taken a beating in the last year as more than 60 women have come forward and accused him of sexual misconduct dating back four decades
French-Polish director Polanski fled the US in 1978 after being charged with statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles. He is pictured at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017
Polanski, 84, who won the best director Oscar in 2003 for World War Two drama The Pianist, admitted to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles in 1977.
The French-Polish director lives in France and fled the United States following his guilty plea for fear his deal with prosecutors would be overruled and he would get a lengthy prison term. Polanski's case is still ongoing.
The #MeToo movement brought at least 11 other accusations against Polanski to light last fall.
Cosby and Polanski join only two other Academy members known to have been expelled by the group.
In October Weinstein, 66, was expelled after several women accused him of decades-long sexual misconduct, sparking the #MeToo social movement.
The producer has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone.
In 2004 actor Carmine Caridi was expelled for distributing copies of films that are sent to Academy members.
Representatives of Cosby and Polanski did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Cosby and Polanski join only two other Academy members known to have been expelled by the group, producer Harvey Weinstein, left, and actor Carmine Caridi, right
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