Morgan Freeman apologises after sexual harassment claims

Hollywood movie star Morgan Freeman has apologised following allegations of sexual misconduct made by eight women and several other people.

Sixteen people - eight of whom say they were victims - described to CNN a variety of troubling behavior on production sets or on promotional tours over Morgan's career.

"Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy," Freeman said in a statement. "I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected - that was never my intent."

The cable television network quoted a young production assistant who says Morgan harassed her over a period of months in the summer of 2015, while she was working on his bank heist comedy Going in Style.

She accuses Freeman of touching her repeatedly, resting his hand on her lower back or rubbing her lower back without permission, and frequently making comments about her appearance.v The woman said Freeman, who turns 80 next week, continually tried to lift her skirt and kept asking if she was wearing underwear.

He is the latest well-known Hollywood figure to be accused of sexual misconduct after allegations of sex attacks by producer Harvey Weinstein led to the development of the #MeToo campaign against sexual harassment.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)