Hollywoodans Support Polanski, Push For His Release

It's clear that Whoopi Goldberg isn't alone in her belief that what Roman Polanski did to a thirteen-year-old girl in 1977 wasn't that serious, for a growing list of Hollywood's "finest" are coming out in support of the film director while campaigning for his release.

For those unfamiliar, Goldberg said on ABC's "The View" Monday that what Polanski did "wasn't rape-rape."

Now, according to the British Telegraph, others in Tinseltown are offering their support for this child molester:

More than 100 film industry figures have now signed a petition calling for the release of Polanski, the acclaimed director of Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist.

They include leading Hollywood figures Martin Scorcese, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Pedro Almodovar, Tilda Swinton and Monica Bellucci.

One celebrity supporter, the actress Debra Winger, said it was a "three-decades-old case that is dead but for minor technicalities. We stand by him and await his release and his next masterpiece." Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein said Polanski was a "humanist" who had been the victim of a "miscarriage of justice". He said: "We will have to speak to our leaders, particularly in California. I'm not too shy to go and talk to the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and to ask him once and for all to look at this." However, the views of the Hollywood elite seemed out of step with those of ordinary Americans and they now face a backlash.

How out of step are such folk? 

On the Los Angeles Times website only one in 30 comments from members of the public supported Polanski and most called for him to face justice. 

When your views are supported by three percent of the public, THAT's out of step. 

Update [NB Staff]: Our friends at Big Hollywood are keeping track of this, with a list of those who signed the Polanski petition here.