Casey Affleck Breaks Silence About Sexual Misconduct Allegations

"I behaved in a way that was really unprofessional," says the Oscar winning actor, Casey Affleck.

Casey Affleck was forced to settle two sexual harassment lawsuits from women during the making of I'm Still Here back in 2010.

As Casey Affleck now does media interviews to promote his latest movie, he has finally spoken out, for the first time, about the sexual harassment lawsuits that he settled, reflected on the #MeToo movement and has also given his reason for bowing out of presenting duties at last year's Oscars.

"First of all, that I was ever involved in a conflict that resulted in a lawsuit is something that I really regret,” Casey told Associated Press. "I wish I had found a way to resolve things in a different way. I hate that."

Casey Affleck then went on to speak about the embarrassment he felt being at the centre of this controversy.

"I had never had any complaints like that made about me before in my life and it was really embarrassing, and I didn’t know how to handle it and I didn’t agree with everything – the way I was being described and the things that were said about me," Casey said.

"But I wanted to try and make it right, so we made it right in the way that was asked at the time. And we all agreed to just try to put it behind us and move on with our lives, which I think we deserve to do, and I want to respect them as they’ve respected me and my privacy. And that’s that.”

When then asked about the #MeToo movement, Casey said: "Over the past couple of years, I've been listening a lot to this conversation, this public conversation, and learned a lot. I kind of moved from a place of being defensive to one of a more mature point of view, trying to find my own culpability. And once I did that I discovered there was a lot to learn."

He then spoke about the "unprofessional environment" on the set of the movie at the centre of the two lawsuits and offered an apology for this.

"I was a boss (on I'm Still Here). I was one of the producers on the set. This movie was (shot in 2008, 2009) and I was one of the producers. And it was a crazy mockumentary, (a) very unconventional movie," Casey said.

"The cast was the crew and the crew was kind of the cast and it was an unprofessional environment and, you know, the buck had to stop with me being one of the producers and I have to accept responsibility for that and that was a mistake.

"And I contributed to that unprofessional environment and I tolerated that kind of behavior from other people and I wish that I hadn't. And I regret a lot of that.

"I really did not know what I was responsible for as the boss. I don't even know if I thought of myself as the boss. But I behaved in a way and allowed others to behave in a way that was really unprofessional. And I'm sorry."

It's usually the tradition that the previous year's recipient of the Best Actor Oscar presents the award at the next year's ceremony.

But, as the controversy brewed, Casey Affleck decided to stay out of the limelight and broke with this tradition.

Instead, Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence presented the Oscar.

“I think it was the right thing to do just given everything that was going on in our culture at the moment,” Casey Affleck said. “And having two incredible women go present the best actress award felt like the right thing.”

Still smiling from watching my gf interview @CaseyAffleck1 Fabulous experience! AMAZING EYES! #tookthispicture #hot pic.twitter.com/3l2Xo3ldqu

— Claudia Franco (@Lagunabchbunny) 30 de enero de 2016