Roman Polanski — Hollywood’s Favorite Child Molester

Roman Polanski fled America to avoid a prison sentence for drugging and raping a 13-year-old aspiring actress in 1977 — and while Hollywood is still supposedly blasting sexual harassment in the industry, there are plenty of stars who keep defending the notorious child molester!

Whoopi Goldberg — who's also insisted that Bill Cosby "has not been proven a rapist" — outraged fans when she defended Polanski on "The View." Despite his victim being only 13 years old, the defiant host insisted that Polanski was being judged unfairly. "It wasn't rape-rape," said Whoopi, in a moment that was later blasted by critics. "It was something else."

Harrison Ford — who worked for the exiled director on 1988's "Frantic," set in Paris — was at the podium when Polanski won the Oscar in 2003 for Best Director for "The Pianist." The smiling star looked out at the audience giving a standing ovation to the absent Polanski and noted the Academy was accepting the Oscar in his absence. Ford then insisted on personally handing Polanski his Academy Award at the French resort of Deauville!

Meryl Streep has been blasted for joining accused rapist Harvey Weinstein in giving Polanski that standing ovation. Juanita Broaddrick, who's accused Bill Clinton of raping her in 1978, later mocked the screen legend, asking: "Meryl, do you still support your standing ovation for Roman Polanski?"

Johnny Depp lost some fans after signing on to work with Polanski for 1999's "The Ninth Gate" — many years before his own career would be derailed with accusations of domestic abuse. Depp also didn't make many new fans as he defended the director, saying: “Clearly, very clearly — and he’s proven this — Roman Polanski is not a predator!”

Sigourney Weaver declared that Polanski "is sweet and very strong and is very, very demanding" after working with him in 1994's "Death and the Maiden." Debra Winger was furious when Polanski was briefly detained in Switzerland over an investigation into the rape, making him skip a planned appearance at the 2009 Zurich Film Festival. She dismissed the rape as "a three-decade old case that is all but dead, except for a minor technicality."

Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino (at bottom left) also outraged fans when he went on Howard Stern's radio show in 2003. He even shocked the shock jock by insisting that Polanski had actually seduced the willing young girl. “She wanted to have it,” said Tarantino — adding: “He didn’t rape a 13-year-old.It was statutory rape. That’s not quite the same thing....He had sex with a minor, all right. That’s not rape.”

No one was surprised when Woody Allen joined the filmmakers signing a petition for Polanski to be allowed to work again in America. Director Martin Scorsese also signed his name, and had joined Meryl Streep in giving Polanski a standing ovation at the Oscars. Harrison Ford and Natalie Portman also signed their names.

But not all of Hollywood has to be ashamed over supporting Polanski. Michael Douglas wasn't in a hurry to let the director off the hook when he was asked about Polanski's exile — admitting that he "admired" Polanski's work, but reminded people the case was a "judicial matter." Kirstie Alley was a lot more blunt, declaring: "This is one Hollywood star who does NOT celebrate or defend Roman Polanski!"