Still, Yates knows the man, and can like him on a personal level. That's his business. But by going ahead with his casting, and defending him in public, he's making a choice. He's choosing to ignore substantial allegations against an actor who will be holding a major role in a major movie franchise. He's choosing to send a message to the men and women who love this franchise and what it stands for that their opinions don't matter. Grindelwald only makes a minor physical appearance in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It would have been easy to replace him. These are the people who were able to re-cast DUMBLEDORE after Richard Harris died post-Chamber of Secrets. Are you telling me they wouldn't be unable to find a suitable replacement and pass it off as some magical potion gone awry?