Female stars criticise Damon for ‘good guys’ comments
MATT DAMON has been criticised for saying that men who are not sexual predators are not being talked about enough in the wake of the Hollywood sexual-abuse scandal.
The actor last week came under fire for saying that the number of those being accused of sexual misconduct was “like 1pc of the guys” in the film industry and that there was a “spectrum of behaviour” in assault cases.
And his new comments, in which he said that there was a lack of reporting on men who “don’t do this kind of thing”, have also been condemned.
Damon told ‘Business Insider’: “We’re in this watershed moment – and it’s great. But I think one thing that’s not being talked about is there are a whole load of guys – the preponderance of men I’ve worked with – who don’t do this kind of thing and whose lives aren’t going to be affected.”
A number of celebrities took to Twitter to criticise his remarks, including Rose McGowan, one of the many women to have made sexual misconduct allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein. She wrote: “Matt Damon is dense AF.”
Singer and actress Cher said: “Matt Damon proving, once again, that nothing is more fragile than masculinity.”
She added: “BTW, one should not need or require applause for being a decent human being and not harassing or assaulting others, Matt Damon.”
‘Will and Grace’ star Debra Messing wrote: “Matt Damon – seriously? You are a smart man. A privileged, white man. This is not the time to ask for a pat on the back. How about we not celebrate men who are simply decent human beings.”
In an interview with ABC News last week, Damon said that not all men in the industry should be painted with the same brush: “Think of how many men are in the movie business... this is like 1pc of the guys, It’s not everybody, it just feels like it.”
Damon also referred to a “spectrum of behaviour” in sexual abuse and said: “There is a difference between patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation.” (© Daily Telegraph, London)