Scandalous Moments from Award Shows That Rocked the Industry

#13: Convicted Felon, Roman Polanski Wins Best Director

When: 75th Academy Awards, 2003

In 1978, renowned director Roman Polanski admitted to drugging and assaulting a 13-year-old girl. Despite pleading guilty and spending a brief stint in jail, he fled the country before sentencing, fearing a harsher punishment. He’s remained a fugitive for decades, residing in countries like France that won’t extradite him.

Even with this knowledge, in a move that stunned many, the Academy awarded him a Best Director Oscar in 2003 for his film The Pianist. The irony? He wasn’t even there to accept the award, yet he still received a standing ovation. But in 2018, both Polanski and Bill Cosby were expelled from the Oscars organization, marking a pivotal moment in Hollywood’s reckoning with sexual misconduct.