Songwriter Diane Warren has defended Morgan Freeman, who has been accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour by multiple women, saying the people need to understand the difference between flirting and sexual assault.
According to a CNN report, a total of 16 people spoke to the news outlet about Morgan's alleged acts which range from sexually charged verbal harassment to touching.
Warren, who experienced harassment and misconduct when she was younger, penned the #MeToo movement anthem 'Til It Happens to You'.
When questioned about the momentum of the campaign, the musician came forward in the Oscar-winning actor's support saying he was brought up in "a different time".
"It's hard to say it's (#MeToo movement) gone too far, but there's a couple of people that I know personally that I feel bad for and, with the Morgan Freeman thing, you go, 'Really?' If somebody says, 'Nice legs' or 'You're really cute...' if someone said that to me, I wouldn't treat it as assault," she told WENN.
"I mean he's (Freeman) 80 years old (sic), it's a different time. It's like when George (H. W.) Bush pinched a girl on her a** - he's 90 years old (sic). Give him a break... They came up at a different time.
"Morgan Freeman said, 'You're really cute, I like those legs...' You can't put that in the same thing as sexual assault, but some people are so militant about it, like, 'It's all the same'. It's not the same!" Warren added.
Morgan, one of the latest and most powerful Hollywood personalities to be accused of misconduct, later issued a brief statement of apology hours after the allegations were reported. His lawyer later demanded an immediate retraction of the CNN story and an apology from the network.
Numerous allegations of sexual harassment, misconduct and even rape levelled against disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein sparked off #MeToo, a campaign which encouraged women from all walks of life to come forward.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)