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Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski have been expelled from the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The academy - which runs the Oscars - said this was done in accordance with its standards of conduct.

TV star Cosby was convicted of sexual assault last month. Oscar-winning director Polanski admitted unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

Producer Harvey Weinstein was kicked out last year, following numerous allegations of sexual assault.

Less than a year after the downfall of the producer the #MeToo movement is catching up with other men who abused their power, the BBC's James Cook in Los Angeles reports.

Neither Cosby nor Polanski have publicly reacted to the academy's decision.

Cosby's wife, Camille, described his conviction as "mob justice, not real justice".

"This tragedy must be undone not just for Bill Cosby, but for the country," she said.

What did the academy say?

The prestigious organisation made the announcement on Thursday - two days after its board members voted on the issue.

In a statement, it said its board "has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organisation's Standards of Conduct".

"The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy's values of respect for human dignity," it added.

Only four people are known to have been expelled in its 91-year history.

The first was actor Carmine Caridi, who had his membership revoked in 2004 after he allegedly sent confidential film preview videos to a friend which ended up online.

On social media, many people have been asking what took the academy so long to take action against Polanski, who has been honoured in the decades since he admitted to statutory rape.

Polanski's Oscar nominations since his 1977 guilty plea

1981 : Best Director for Tess

: Best Director for Tess 2003 : Best Picture for The Pianist

: Best Picture for The Pianist 2003: Best Director for The Pianist (which he won)

What did Polanski do?

The unlawful sex case against Polanski, now aged 84, has dragged on for more than 40 years.

Polanski admitted unlawful sex with Samantha Geimer, who was a minor in 1977, and served 42 days in prison, but later fled the US over concern that a plea bargain deal would be scrapped.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Samantha Geimer was raped by Polanski when she was 13

He has French and Polish citizenship, and has evaded various extradition attempts by US authorities.

France - where he lives - does not extradite its own citizens. A Polish court also rejected a US request when he was filming in Krakow in 2015.

The Swiss authorities also turned down a US warrant in 2010, after placing Polanski under house arrest for nine months.

Last year, he was picked to head the jury at the Césars, the French equivalent of the Oscars.

He stepped down after the move sparked outrage.

Last year, Ms Geimer told a US court she had forgiven Polanski and wanted to move on. But the court refused her plea.

Why now?

By James Cook, BBC News, Los Angeles

Why now? That's the question, isn't it?

For Bill Cosby, the answer appears obvious. A criminal conviction seems to be the standard which was applied in this case: expulsion from the academy came just one week after a guilty verdict.

Roman Polanski's expulsion, by very stark contrast, comes more than 2,000 weeks after he pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor.

Not only that but Harvey Weinstein was expelled without a criminal conviction although he faces (and denies) allegations of rape.

So why did it take Hollywood more than 40 years to decide that the statutory rape of a 13-year-old was beneath its precious "values of respect for human dignity"?

The academy recently implemented revised standards of conduct for its 8,400 members, including a provision to suspend or expel those who "compromise the integrity" of the organisation.

The real answer though does not lie in bureaucracy but in shame. The industry has been shamed into action by the disinfecting sunlight of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements.

The problem for the academy is that this harsh glare is shining on many other members and with each expulsion the pressure grows to act in those cases too.

What about Cosby's conviction?

In April, Cosby, 80, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, each of which carries a potential 10 years in prison.

He was on trial for drugging and assaulting ex-basketball player Andrea Constand in 2004.

It was the second time the actor had stood trial for the allegations, after an earlier jury failed to reach a verdict in 2017.

Cosby starred in sitcom The Cosby Show, which was a global hit and ran from 1984-92. Cosby was widely known as "America's Dad" for his fatherly role in the comedy.

At one point, he was the highest-paid actor in the US.</s>Just days after Bill Cosby was convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault , both he and director Roman Polanski have been officially expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences .

The decision was announced Thursday (May 3) by the Academy, which released a statement that reads : "The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Board of Governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization's Standards of Conduct. The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy's values of respect for human dignity." The Academy's decision means that Polanski and Cosby will not be able to vote on the Academy Awards.

Though Cosby's trial has been more recent, Polanski's criminal history has been known to the public since 1977, when he pled guilty to the charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor (who was a 13-year-old girl), according to BBC News . The French-Polish director, known for The Pianist , fled the United States to avoid prison; he has since lived in France, a country that doesn't extradite its citizens. In January, Deadline reported that Polanski would not be extradited to the U.S. for a court date because the statute of limitations had expired, according to the charge evaluation paperwork obtained by Deadline .

Deadline also reported that all references to Cosby have been removed from the Academy website, including his name on the honorees list. Separately, a spokesperson for Television Academy told Deadline that there are no plans to rescind Cosby's four Primetime Emmy Awards or his Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. But his name and statue have been removed from their Hall of Fame, and their spokesperson told Deadline , "All references to Mr. Cosby were removed from the website."

It isn't the first time the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has voted out a member. In October of last year, it voted to evict Harvey Weinstein from its ranks, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter . At that time, its board released a statement that foreshadowed future treatment of sexual predators. The statement explained why the Academy kicked Weinstein out: "We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleague but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over."

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Want more from Teen Vogue ? Check this out: A List of Powerful People in Entertainment Who Have Been Accused of Sexual Harassment or Assault This Year</s>Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski have been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, according to a statement issued by the organization. The Board of Governors met on Tuesday to decide whether or not Cosby, who was recently convicted of sexual assault, and Polanski, who has been convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, should remain in their ranks. The board voted no, on the grounds that Cosby and Polanski do not meet the organization’s recently implemented Standards of Conduct.

“The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity,” the statement concluded.

Cosby and Polanski are the third and fourth members to ever be expelled by the academy, following alleged serial predator Harvey Weinstein and sharer of screeners Carmine Caridi. Though Cosby and Polanski’s expulsions are a sign of progress toward addressing industrywide sexual predation, this news is a bit hard to swallow given the organization’s long-held adoration of Polanski. While these Cosby allegations have come to the forefront relatively recently, public awareness of Polanski’s criminal actions are decades old. The academy nonetheless awarded him the Best Director statuette for The Pianist in 2003 and has upheld his membership for the past 40 years, until now.

Last year, Polanski returned to Cannes with Based on a True Story, which debuted to mixed reviews. Though Cannes has set up a hotline to address sexual predators in their midst, representatives of the festival have not spoken out about their decision to include Polanski’s work.</s>(LOS ANGELES) — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors has voted to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski from its membership.

The film academy said Thursday that its board of governors met Tuesday night and voted on their status in accordance with their Standards of Conduct.

The organization that puts on the Oscars also expelled Harvey Weinstein from its ranks in October.

Only one person is thought to have been previously expelled from the academy: Carmine Caridi, a character actor who had his membership revoked in 2004 for lending DVD screeners of films in contention for Oscars that ended up online.

Polanski remains a fugitive after fleeing the United States in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor. Cosby was convicted last week of sexual assault in Pennsylvania.</s>LOS ANGELES (AP) — The organization that bestows the Academy Awards announced Thursday that it has voted to expel two prominent members convicted of sexual offenses, Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski, from its membership.

It’s the first major decision since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences implemented revised standards of conduct for its over 8,400 members following its expulsion of disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein in October. In Polanski’s case, the expulsion comes more than 40 years after he was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl he plied with champagne and Quaaludes during a photo shoot, and 15 years after he won a best director Oscar.

The academy wrote in a statement that its board of governors met Tuesday night and voted on Polanski and Cosby’s status in accordance with the new standards. Polanski’s membership dates back to 1969, and Cosby’s to 1996.

Polanski, who won a best director Oscar for 2002′s “The Pianist,” remains a fugitive after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor in 1977 and fleeing the United States the following year. Cosby was convicted last week of sexual assault in Pennsylvania, for drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion 14 years ago.

Representatives for Cosby and Polanski did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

In a statement, the film academy said its board “continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”

Adopted in December, the code of conduct stipulates that the academy is no place for “people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates standards of decency.”

The academy’s board may now suspend or expel those who violate the code of conduct or who “compromise the integrity” of the academy.

Before Weinstein, only one person is thought to have been previously expelled from the academy: Carmine Caridi, a character actor who had his membership revoked in 2004 for lending DVD screeners of films in contention for Oscars that ended up online.

The film academy came under intense scrutiny following Weinstein’s expulsion and the rise of the #MeToo movement for some of its active members, like Cosby, Polanski and Mel Gibson. It even became late-night fodder for people like John Oliver. Because its members are not made public, occasionally incorrect assumptions are made about who are part of the organization. Woody Allen, for one, is not.

Polanski has been one of the more divisive members of the organization for years. At the 2003 ceremony, Polanski’s win — his first — received a standing ovation. He was not in attendance. He’d previously been nominated for writing his adaptation of “Rosemary’s Baby,” and directing “Chinatown” and “Tess.”

Prominent actors like Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly continued to work with him, and in 2009, when Polanski was arrested in Zurich and U.S. authorities attempted to extradite him, more than 100 celebrities signed a petition for his release, including Allen, Weinstein, Martin Scorsese, Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch, Penelope Cruz and Tilda Swinton.

Natalie Portman recently told BuzzFeed that she regretted signing the petition.

“We lived in a different world, and that doesn’t excuse anything. But you can have your eyes opened and completely change the way you want to live,” Portman said. “My eyes were not open.”

The film academy has faced a number of challenges in the Time’s Up era, including the question of whether or not Casey Affleck would present the best actress Oscar this past March in accordance with tradition. Affleck, who settled a pair of civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual harassment in 2010 during the production of the mockumentary “I’m Still Here,” bowed out of the task himself early in the year. Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence ended up presenting the award instead.

While this year’s Oscars ceremony and host Jimmy Kimmel did not shy away from addressing the movement, it also awarded former Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who in 2003 was accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado, with an Academy Award for the animated short “Dear Basketball.” He admitted to a sexual encounter with the woman, but denied the assault allegation and criminal case was dropped after Bryant’s accuser refused to testify. She later filed a civil suit against him, which was settled out of court and included Bryant’s public apology to her, although he admitted no guilt.

Its president John Bailey also recently faced an allegation of sexual misconduct, but was cleared after a committee and an outside law firm investigated the claim and unanimously voted that no other action was required and that Bailey would remain in his position.</s>Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(LOS ANGELES) — Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski have been expelled from the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization announced Thursday.

Cosby and Polanski have been accused by multiple people of sexual misconduct; Cosby was convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault last week.

The Academy announced that the Board of Governors voted Tuesday night to expel both men, “in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct.”

“The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity,” the statement concluded.

On April 26, Cosby, 80, was found guilty of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in his Philadelphia home 14 years ago. Additionally, he has been accused of similar crimes by dozens of other women but has always maintained his innocence.

In 1977, Polanski, now 84, pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl and then fled the country before he was sentenced. He has since been accused of sexual misconduct by several others, according to reports.

Still, Polanski has earned two best director Oscar nominations since 1977, and won in 2003 for his work on The Pianist.</s>Hot on the heels of Bill Cosby’s name being removed from all references on the Television Academy’s website, AMPAS, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which includes the Academy Awards, on Thursday expelled the actor as well as embattled director Roman Polanski, from its membership.

In a brief statement, the Academy’s board stated it voted on May 1 to “expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct. The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”
• Camille Cosby: ‘Mob justice, not real justice’ convicted Bill Cosby
• Judge rejects request for dismissal of Roman Polanski’s sex case</s>The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanksi from its membership ranks.

The decision to remove Cosby and Polanski from the membership was made Tuesday, May 1 at a scheduled board meeting.

The move comes a week after Cosby was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault brought against him by Andrea Constand. Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by as many as 60 women, a few of which testified at the emotional hearing.

Polanski has been on the lam for 40 years, ever since fleeing the country while awaiting sentencing for statutory rape in 1978.

Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the Academy last year after exposés in the New Yorker and New York Times detailed years of sexual harassment allegations against the now-disgraced mogul.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct. The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.</s>The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has expelled actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership.

A statement from the organisation behind the Oscars said: “The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ board of governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organisation’s standards of conduct.

“The board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”

Cosby was last week convicted of sexual assault, and Polanski remains a fugitive after fleeing the US in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a teenager.

The Academy had expelled film producer Harvey Weinstein in October, following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct.

Polanski, who won a best director Oscar for The Pianist, has been in self-imposed exile since he fled the US 40 years ago, fearing a judge would extend his sentence after he served 42 days in jail.

He pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with Samantha Geimer in 1977 after allegedly plying her with champagne and a sedative at the Hollywood Hills home of Jack Nicholson, who was not there at the time.

Polanski, 84, is currently living in Paris, France.

Cosby, 80, is awaiting sentencing following his conviction for drugging and molesting a woman at his mansion in Philadelphia in January 2004.</s>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Television’s Bill Cosby and Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski were expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Awards presenters said in a statement on Thursday.

The Academy said Cosby and Polanski were expelled “in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct.”

Cosby was found guilty of sex crimes. Polanski in 1977 admitted to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board votes to suspend actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski in accordance with the organization's standards of conduct.