Nat Geo to 'Move Forward' With 'Story of God' Season 3 After Morgan Freeman Investigation
Nat Geo will continue with a third season of “The Story of God” after an investigation “revealed no incidents of concern” regarding sexual misconduct allegations against host Morgan Freeman.
“When we learned of recent allegations surrounding Mr. Freeman completely unrelated to our work with him, as a precaution we paused production on our new season in order to complete a thorough investigation led by our parent company Fox, executed through an independent investigator,” the network said in a statement on Friday.
“The results of this investigation revealed no incidents of concern during any of our work with Mr. Freeman. We have now made the decision to move forward with the production of season three of ‘The Story of God.'”
Also Read: CNN Blasts Back at Morgan Freeman's 'Disappointing' Demand for Story Retraction
Back in May, Freeman was accused by eight women of various forms of misconduct, from unwelcome sexual comments to “unwanted touching” to harassment. The actor has denied any wrongdoing.
“Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy,” Freeman said in a statement at the time. “I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent.”
Freeman’s lawyers also sent a letter accusing CNN, which first reported the accusations, of defamation, claiming “the whole story was built on fakery.” CNN refused to retract the story.
Also Read: Morgan Freeman: Any Suggestion of Assault 'Is Completely False'
Nat Geo temporarily paused production on the third season of “The Story of God,” which follows Freeman as he explores other cultures and religions and their belief systems, after the allegations first surfaced, but the show is now slated to resume pre-production next month.
The new season will premiere in 2019.
Read Nat Geo’s full statement below.
Through production on critically acclaimed series “The Story of God” and “The Story of Us,” we have valued a longstanding relationship with Morgan Freeman. When we learned of recent allegations surrounding Mr. Freeman completely unrelated to our work with him, as a precaution we paused production on our new season in order to complete a thorough investigation led by our parent company Fox, executed through an independent investigator. The results of this investigation revealed no incidents of concern during any of our work with Mr. Freeman. We have now made the decision to move forward with the production of season three of “The Story of God.” This series has expanded our understanding of religion and culture around the world and has touched many of our fans, and along with Morgan and the team at Revelations Entertainment, we look forward to resuming pre-production this September. As a company, we take all issues of harassment very seriously and we’re confidently assured by the results of the investigation. The new season will premiere globally on National Geographic Channels in 2019.
Read original story Nat Geo to ‘Move Forward’ With ‘Story of God’ Season 3 After Morgan Freeman Investigation At TheWrap
