Oscar winner Affleck speaks about sexual harassment claims

NEW YORK – In an interview following his Oscar win on Sunday, Casey Affleck addressed earlier sexual harassment claims against him and said “everyone deserves to be treated with respect in the workplace and everywhere else.”

The “Manchester by the Sea” star had largely evaded questions about the two lawsuits brought against him while making the 2010 mockumentary “I’m Still Here,” which he directed. The settlement of each case prevents each party from discussing the accusations. Affleck has denied the allegations.

In an interview posted Tuesday night by The Boston Globe, Affleck said, “I believe that any kind of mistreatment of anyone for any reason is unacceptable and abhorrent, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect in the workplace and anywhere else.”

Asked about those who have criticized his Academy Award win, Affleck said there was “nothing I can do about it other than live my life the way I know I live it and to speak to what my own values are and how I try to live by them all the time.”