Morgan Freeman is returning to TV after sexual misconduct allegations were levied against him in May.
Freeman has since issued two apologies for his behaviour, and his lawyers have called for CNN to retract the original report.
Freeman will return as the host of NatGeo’s docuseries The Story of God next year. Entertainment Weekly reports that production of The Story of God was suspended when the allegations broke.
On Friday, the network issued a statement saying its parent company, Fox, led an investigation conducted by an independent outside investigator and found “no incidents of concern” during their work with Freeman.
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“We have now made the decision to move forward with the production of season three of The Story of God,” NatGeo’s statement said. “We look forward to resuming pre-production this September. As a company, we take all issues of harassment very seriously and we’re confidently assured by the results of the investigation.”
In a story released late May, multiple people came forward accusing the 80-year-old actor of sexual misconduct over the last decade. Eight people said Freeman engaged in sexual harassment or other “inappropriate behaviour” towards them, and eight others claimed to have witnessed Freeman’s actions.
Freeman released an apology shortly after, maintaining he did not create unsafe work environments, assault women, or offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. In the statement, Freeman said he was “devastated” that his career was at risk after the report.
“All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard. And we need to listen to them. But it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humour,” he said, recognising he did not always come across as intended — but adding that any suggestion that he had sexually harassed anyone was false.
According to the New York Times, his legal team later sent a 10-page letter to CNN demanding a retraction of their story, saying the network had defamed the actor. CNN has rebutted Freeman’s attorneys and stood by the report. Since the allegations broke, Visa severed ties with Freeman (who narrated the company’s commercials), and Vancouver-based transit system TransLink said it would no longer air loudspeaker announcements in Freeman’s voice.
The third season of The Story of God will premiere on NatGeo in 2019.