Roman Polanski really thought he could get away with this. On Aug. 26, a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel knocked him off his high horse when she denied his request to be reinstated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
She wrote in her ruling, “Board had cause to expel petitioner. While the board could have found the circumstances surrounding petitioner’s continued fugitive status, including his allegations of serious judicial and prosecutorial misconduct, mitigated the need for expulsion, the board’s decision is supported by the evidence, was not arbitrary or capricious and was not an abuse of discretion.”
In May 2018, the academy’s board of governors voted to expel Polanski and Bill Cosby in accordance with their new standards of conduct. The organization said in a statement that it “continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.” This move came months after the expulsion of Harvey Weinstein in October 2017 and the rise in the number of survivors, rallying behind the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, who came forward with their experience of sexual abuse at the hands of the Hollywood elite.
Polanski sued the Academy in April 2019, alleging that it did not follow proper protocol in dismissing him and that the decision “is not supported by findings, and the Academy’s findings are not supported by evidence.” Apart from demanding his reinstatement, he insisted that the Academy pay all costs incurred by the suit.
The organization, however, stood by their resolution after considering the materials by Polanski for his appeal which included more than 400 pages of exhibits, a detailed memo from his attorney and a videotaped statement where he directly addressed the board.
In March 1977, a grand jury indicted him on six felony charges, including rape, furnishing a controlled substance to a minor and sodomy. Five months later, he pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The following year, he served 42 days and fled the United States when he learned that a judge sought to put him back in prison. Three other survivors have come forward with their stories of sexual abuse against him. He has since evaded extradition attempts by US authorities by staying in France (which does not extradite its citizens such as Polanski).
The convicted sex offender has shared that he thinks that the #MeToo movement is a product of “total hypocrisy” and “collective hysteria.” It would seem that he believes that he is above the law, painting a stark example of why we must stop lauding and providing platforms to perpetrators of sexual violence.
The fight to end rape culture must be a relentless pursuit for justice—no artist or idol is exempt. Anyway, “The Pianist” and “Rosemary’s Baby” aren’t hills you’ll want to die on. If Polanski ever gets awarded again, we expect the audience to walk out in protest like Adèle Haenel and the rest of the “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” cast.
Art by Dana Calvo
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