Casey Affleck Is Skipping The Oscars Amid #MeToo Backlash

Don’t expect to see Casey Affleck  come Oscar Sunday. 

The “Manchester By The Sea” actor is reportedly breaking with tradition and skipping the 90th annual Academy Awards in March, according to Deadline . As the previous year’s winner for Best Actor, he was set to present the award for Best Actress at this year’s ceremony. 

A representative for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed to Variety that he would be absent from the awards show. Affleck’s representatives did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. 

Affleck apparently did not “want to become a distraction from the focus that should be on the performances of the actresses in the category,” in light of the 2010 sexual harassment allegations  made against him, Deadline reported.

Two women who worked on the hoax Joaquin Phoenix documentary, “I’m Still Here,” which Affleck directed, accused him of verbally and physically harassing them  during filming. The actor has since denied all the allegations and later settled both suits for undisclosed amounts with both women signing nondisclosure agreements.

The awards show, which will see Jimmy Kimmel return as host, will likely tackle Hollywood’s recent reckoning with sexual assault and misconduct. Many of the actors and actresses nominated have pledged their support to the Time’s Up initiative , which seeks to eliminate predatory behavior across all industries through gender and racial parity. 

This isn’t the first time the Oscars will have alternatives to previous winners handing out trophies. In 2009, the Academy tapped multiple presenters  to introduce the acting awards with each making a short speech on the nominee’s behalf. 

Earlier this month, women were the only presenters at the SAG Awards, with the show choosing to forgo male presenters altogether .