Oscars chief being investigated for sexual harassment  

LOS ANGELES - AFP

The president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body which hands out the Oscars, is being investigated for sexual harassment, US media reported on March 16.

The trade publication Variety and CBS News said the Academy immediately opened an investigation after receiving three harassment claims against John Bailey on March 14.

In response, the Academy issued a statement saying that it "treats any complaints confidentially to protect all parties."     

The group's membership committee "reviews all complaints brought against Academy members according to our Standards of Conduct process, and after completing reviews, reports to the Board of Governors."

It added: "We will not comment further on such matters until the full review is completed."

In December, the Academy adopted a code of conduct for its members.

Bailey, 75, a cinematographer whose credits include "Groundhog Day" and "The Big Chill," was elected to a four-year term as head of the Academy in August.

He followed Cheryl Boone Isaacs, an African-American woman who had led the charge to increase racial diversity in the Academy. Her tenure included dealing with the social media-driven #OscarsSoWhite campaign and accusations of racism within the Academy.

Bailey's brief tenure has been marked by the birth of the #MeToo movement started by actress Alyssa Milano and which went global, highlighting accusations of sexual abuse.

Harvey Weinstein, whose studio Miramax was behind hits such as "Shakespeare In Love" and "Pulp Fiction," was expelled from the Academy in October following accusations of sexual harassment and abuse by dozens of women.

At a February lunch for this year's Oscar nominees, Bailey promised the Academy would adopt a "greater awareness and responsibility in balancing gender, race, ethnicity, and religion." "The fossilized bedrock of many of Hollywood's worst abuses are being jackhammered into oblivion," he said.