Russia’s media has unleashed on Morgan Freeman following his public call for an investigation into Russian interference in US affairs, suggesting the actor is ‘emotionally stressed’.
In the video produced by The Committee to Investigate Russia (CIR) the Hollywood actor claimed the Kremlin unleashed an attack on the US during the 2016 presidential election.
It shows Freeman accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of launching cyber-attacks and spreading false information.
Freeman urged President Donald Trump to inform the US that “during this past election, we came under attack by the Russian government".
"We have been attacked. We are at war," Freeman said in the video, adding: "This is no movie script.”
"We need our president to speak directly to us and tell us the truth" about Russia's election meddling, Freeman said.
The CIR group was set up by Hollywood director Rob Reiner and included a mix of Hollywood stars and Washington security VIPs.
Morgan Freeman appearing in the CIR video. Source: CIR
Their goal was to highlight Moscow’s alleged interference in last year’s election.
"I don't know that the public understands the gravity of what the Russians were able to do and continue to do... They are trying to undermine our democracy," Rob Reiner told CNN.
Former US national intelligence chief James Clapper was also involved in the group.
Clapper was one of four top security and intelligence officials who put their names behind a January 6 report that said Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind a complex effort of hacking and misinformation to influence the 2016 election in Trump's favour.
The Kremlin responded to the video campaign, suggesting Freeman is suffering “emotional stress”.
Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Russia was not taking the film seriously.
"Many creative people easily fall victim to emotional strain, and don't have real information about the actual state of affairs," he said.
But the Russian media has been less sympathetic, a panel appearing on Russia-24 suggested Freeman had a ‘god complex’ and history of drug abuse.
Russia has responded to the video. Source: CIR
