Update: Following his expulsion from the Academy of Music and Arts, Roman Polanski, who pled guilty to the rape of a 15-year-old girl in 1997, will appeal the decision. Vanity Fair reports that Polanski's lawyer, Harland Braun, is asking for "due process" for his client.
"That’s not asking too much of the Academy, is it?" he said.
Original story published below on May 3 at 2:45 p.m.
After a year full of disturbing and enlightening allegations against some of the most powerful men in media, Hollywood, and beyond, the Academy of Music and Arts has finally spoken.
Today, the Academy revealed that Bill Cosby, who was found guilty of aggravated indecent assault on April 26, and Roman Polanski, who pled guilty to "unlawful sexual intercourse" (rape) of a 15-year-old girl in 1977, will be expelled from the esteemed organization. The decision was made by the board of governors on May 1 in an effort to ensure members "uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity."
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Polanski and Cosby join Harvey Weinstein who was also expelled from the Academy after a (now Pulitzer Price-winning) investigation brought to light decades of abuse, including allegations of rape, sexual harassment, and threats against women he worked with. The first person to be expelled from the Academy was Godfather actor Carmine Caridi who, in 2004, shared screeners of films under consideration for an Oscar, which is against Academy rules.