Casey Affleck Withdraws From Oscars Amid Sexual Abuse Scandal

LOS ANGELES, CA — Casey Affleck, last year's Oscar winner for best actor, won't present at this year's Academy Awards in a break with long-standing tradition. Affleck, who settled two lawsuits with women accusing him of sexual harassment, withdrew as a presenter Thursday as Hollywood attempts to grapple with its sexual abuse problem.

The announcement reflects the extent of backlash aimed at powerful men accused of exploiting women in the industry. It also underscores the vast cultural shift that has taken place over the last year. The allegations against Affleck were widely publicized in the run-up to the Oscars, but they had little effect on his popularity with the Academy. This year, the Me Too and Time's Up movements may have effectively chased him from the spotlight. It would likely have made for an awkward ceremony with many in the audience expected to sport Time's Up pins.

Affleck, who won the best-actor award for "Manchester by the Sea," would have presented this year's award for Best Actress, according to tradition.

Deadline Hollywood broke the news of Affleck's withdrawal, noting "Affleck did not want to become a distraction from the focus that should be on the performances of the actresses in the category and that is why he made the proactive move. He was in a no-win situation, with all the attention surrounding the #MeToo movement. The specter of Affleck presenting would have created controversy."

The accusations made against Affleck stem from his work on "I'm Still Here." In 2010, the actor settled two sexual harassment lawsuits with women who worked on the film. According to the lawsuits, Affleck engaged in "routine instances of sexual harassment," even going so far as to climb into bed with one of the women when she was sleeping. According to her lawsuit, she awoke to find him in a state of undress, snuggling with her and caressing her back.

Through his attorney, Affleck denied the allegations and threatened to counter-sue his accusers. However, he ultimately settled out of court.

Actor Casey Affleck accepts the Best Actor award for 'Manchester by the Sea' onstage during the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)