LOS ANGELES (WHDH) — Actor and Cambridge native Ben Affleck apologized on Twitter Wednesday after an actress said he groped her during a TV interview back in 2003.
Actress Hilarie Burton said Affleck grabbed her breast during an interview on MTV’s “TRL: Uncensored.” Burton was 21 years old at the time and would later go on to star in the TV show “One Tree Hill” for six seasons.
The incident came up after Affleck was criticized for his statement on Harvey Weinstein’s rape and sexual harassment allegations. Affleck said he was “saddened and angry” over the news and that society needs to do more to protect and empower women. Several people on Twitter called Affleck a hypocrite due to his own behavior, with one woman saying, “He also grabbed Hilarie Burton’s breasts on TRL once. Everyone forgot though.”
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Affleck responded to the allegations on Wednesday in a tweet: “I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize.”
Some actresses who worked with Weinstein also accused Affleck of knowing about the movie mogul’s behavior towards women and doing nothing to stop it.
Weinstein is now facing allegations of sexual harassment and assault from numerous actresses and models. Among the actresses who have spoken out are Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino and Cara DeLevigne. Weinstein is also accused of raping three women.
Many allegations were detailed in a recent article for The New Yorker. The magazine also published audio from a 2015 NYPD sting involving Weinstein and a model. In the audio, Weinstein attempts to lure the model into his notel room before admitting to groping her the day before. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said what was on the tape was not enough to charge Weinstein with anything.
“If we had a case that we felt we could prosecute and my experts felt we could prosecute against Harvey Weinstein, we would have,” said Vance.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke with CNN Wednesday after she issued a statement saying she was “shocked and appalled” by the allegations. Weinstein was a big donor to Democratic candidates, including Clinton.
“This was a different side of a person who I and others have known in the past,” said Clinton.
In statements, Weinstein apologized for his past behavior and said he is seeking help. He also denied committing any harassment or assault.
I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) October 11, 2017
Read Affleck’s response to Weinstein below:
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) October 10, 2017
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