Good Will Hunting star Matt Damon has ripped into Harvey Weinstein over a series of rape and sexual harassment allegations, as he warned against treating those accused of sexual misconduct the same way.
Damon said Harvey Weinstein was at one end of the spectrum, while comedian Louis CK and DemocratAl Franken were at the other end.
Harvey Weinstein. Photo / Getty
"I do believe that there's a spectrum of behaviour, right? And we're going to have to figure — you know, there's a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation," he told ABC News.
"Both of those behaviours need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn't be conflated, right? You know, we see somebody like Al Franken. 'I personally would have preferred if they had an Ethics Committee investigation, you know what I mean?
"We're so energised to kind of get retribution, I think," he said. "None of us came here perfect. The Louis CK thing ... When he came out and said, 'I did this. I did these things. These women are all telling the truth' and I just remember thinking, 'Well, that's the sign of somebody who — well, we can work with that'.
"And the fear for me is that right now ... the clearer signal to men and to younger people is, deny it. Because if you take responsibility for what you did, your life's going to get ruined."
Damon said while those found guilty of rape should go to prison, the behaviour of Louis CK, who has admitted masturbating in front of woman, was "just kind of shameful and gross".
Actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck attend the premiere of a movie. Photo / Getty
"I don't imagine he's going to do those things again,' he added.
Damon also stuck up for Democrat Al Franken, who has resigned after several women came forward and accused him of sexual misconduct.
"I personally would have preferred if they had an Ethics Committee investigation (on Franken), you know what I mean?"
"When you see Al Franken taking a picture putting his hands on that woman's flak jacket and mugging for the camera, going like that, you know, that is just like a terrible joke, and it's not funny," Damon said. "It's wrong, and he shouldn't have done that … But when you talk about Harvey and what he's accused of, there are no pictures of that. He knew he was up to no good. There's no witnesses. There's no pictures. There's no braggadocio … So they don't belong in the same category."
