MovieChat Forums > Casey Affleck Discussion > No one knows the truth...

No one knows the truth...

posted 8 years ago by smokebreak
9 replies | jump to latest

In regards to the sexual harassment claims... at the end of the day, none of us know the truth. Sexual harassment is a vile and disgusting thing, but we have zero facts. We have claims, but claims are not facts. False claims are made every day. People try to take advantage of others all the time. If he DID in fact do those horrible things, then shame on him and I would cease to support him as an artist. But none of us know the truth. It's JUST as likely that those producers were shady and tried to take advantage of him by making false claims. In which case, shame on them. But the fact is, we don't know the truth.

However I completely understand people's reaction to these claims, and how disturbed, angry and saddened they are. Seems unlikely that these producers made all this up out of thin air for money... maybe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Maybe he isn't as guilty as they are making him out to be, and maybe they aren't as innocent either. Maybe one of them flirted with him and he flirted back, and it escalated, and then later on he treated them poorly so they decided to twist the story and claim that he was worse than what really happened? I've also read about the experimental nature of this movie, and how Phoenix and Affleck were trying to go for this whole Andy Kaufman idea of pushing and insulting the people around them to the point where people really didn't like them, for the sake of the movie (because the movie is about this loser actor who pathetically attempts to become a rapper). Maybe they took it too far with these women and the crew in general, and they lashed back. If that is the truth, then was it worth it? Obviously not. It's never worth hurting another person for the sake of art. That's not what art should be about. Maybe none of that happened and these two women are friends who decided to scheme against him. People are capable of being manipulative. There are hundreds of possibilities. Or maybe he straight up did all of it, and he is a disgusting piece of $hit. It's absolutely possible. I'm not trying to tell people to react differently, or to take his side, or to be against him, I'm just offering different perspectives, and stating the fact that none of us REALLY know...

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[–] cesgreen29 8 years ago

Thank you for writing this. I am trying to make people reflect on what they actually (factually) know about these allegations. But it seems that most of them made up their minds that Affleck is guilty and basically a "monster". And if I am trying to pointing out that we dont have any facts to determinted that these allegations are true, I am called a monster for not believing these allegations.

Well, I wish I just could believe them (it would make way more easy), but so many cases have shown, that allegations such as these, are used to discredit someone (for example for Hollywood Anthony Anderson). I am not saying these allegations are not true, only that they COULD/COULD NOT be true. People are so quick in believing things and not trying to get the whole picture, that shaming someone publicly for somethings that person might have done, is worrisome.

Also what I wanted to point out, is that you also let yourself become a tool for whoever has to gain from that.

[–] gabelandeskog 8 years ago

Weren't these two women paid off?

[–] jill2045 8 years ago

Would you pay someone off for something you didn't do? It implies guilt. You looked at it from every perspective except that one. Maybe he paid them off as to avoid a public court case. I certainly would fight tooth and nail if I didn't do something wrong and sure as heck wouldn't lie down and give up my money to liars. But maybe that's just me.

[–] smokebreak 8 years ago

Totally fair point. It's absolutely possible that it went down this way. All I ever said was that it's also possible it went down another way. Some cases like this come to light and I feel comfortable making a judgment about the individuals involved based on the facts that are available. This is just one where I personally don't feel like I have enough facts to judge anyone involved. That's just me, personally. But I totally understand why anyone would chose to believe he's guilty. I also understand someone who would chose to believe he's innocent. It's okay for me to simply say "I don't know". I don't feel the need to have a set in stone opinion on this particular situation. There just aren't enough facts that I've seen...

[–] bazea-66849 8 years ago

If Amanda White was after money she would have sued Affleck and most likely the rest of the cast of Good Will Hunting when she worked on that film. ISH was a money drain, there was nothing to be had from it and if anything both women knew, as they stated, that this could cost them their careers so why fake it?

[–] bazea-66849 8 years ago

Court cases can take YEARS and MILLIONS of dollars to fight if the person you're up against has the money and power to stall or make it impossible for you. IMO if the women are telling the truth then filing sexual harassment lawsuits was likely their best legal option AND he most likely sexually assaulted one and assaulted another at a different time by grabbing her but they probably knew they couldn't make those charges stick. These women aren't millionaires with some of the best connections in hollywood, the chances of them winning against any major celebrity are few and far between. They risked their livelihoods and reputations in pursuit of justice and really had no reason to fake it.