Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster will present the Best Actress category at the Academy Awards Sunday in lieu of Casey Affleck, Variety。reports. 。

The news comes after nearly a month of speculation as to who would replace Affleck. The Best Actor winner decided not to present at the end of January because he feared he'd become a distraction.  。

The。 The 。 Manchester by the Sea 。 star was accused of sexual harassment in two 2010 lawsuits, which mostly went under the radar, until the #MeToo movement shined a spotlight on men with histories of sexual misconduct allegations. Affleck's publicists have characterized the lawsuits as extortion attempts. The producer and cinematographer of 。 I’m Not Here,

Affleck's 2010 film, are the accusers. Their cases were settled out of court, with no monetary figure disclosed. 。Mashable Top StoriesStay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter 。By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.。

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。 The Best Actress winner is usually announced by the Best Actor winner from the previous year. Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren are expected to present the Best Actor award on Sunday.。Mashable has reached out to the academy's publicity department to confirm 。

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Mashable has reached out to the academy's publicity department to confirm。

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Variety's。

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report. 。

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