Calling the 'Downsizing' actor 'tone deaf,' she says, 'There are so many men I love who do NOT frame the differentiation between sexual misconduct assault and rape as an excuse.'
- Dec 16, 2017
AceShowbiz - Matt Damon has been under fire following his comments on sexual assault allegations in Hollywood. Among those who have slammed the actor is his ex-girlfriend and actress Minnie Driver. Taking to Twitter, she reacted to Damon's interview, "God God, SERIOUSLY?"
God God, SERIOUSLY? https://t.co/NDZFrLDXil
— Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) December 15, 2017
Calling the Academy Award-nominated actor "tone deaf," she added in another post, "Gosh it's so *interesting how men with all these opinions about women's differentiation between sexual misconduct, assault and rape reveal themselves to be utterly tone deaf and as a result, systemically part of the problem( *profoundly unsurprising.)"
Gosh it’s so *interesting how men with all these opinions about women’s differentiation between sexual misconduct, assault and rape reveal themselves to be utterly tone deaf and as a result, systemically part of the problem( *profoundly unsurprising)
— Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) December 15, 2017
One follower commented on her tweet, "I seriously thought that article was some sort of parody when I read it. Like...he couldn't possibly....say all that."
Driver responded, "There are so many men I love who do NOT frame the differentiation between sexual misconduct assault and rape as an excuse or worse- our problem. Such bollocks.."
There are so many men I love who do NOT frame the differentiation between sexual misconduct assault and rape as an excuse or worse- our problem. Such bollocks..
— Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) December 15, 2017
Damon has received backlash over his controversial interview about the wave of sexual misconduct allegations in Hollywood. He said in Wednesday's (December 13) episode of ABC News' "Popcorn With Peter Travers", "I think we're in this watershed moment. I think it's great. I think it's wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories-and it's totally necessary."
However, people seemed to have issue with his statements in which he tried to characterize sexual misconduct into different levels. "I do believe there's a spectrum of behavior. You know, there's a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right?" he argued. "Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn't be conflated, right?"
He took Harvey Weinstein and Al Franken's cases for example. "When you see Al Franken taking a picture putting his hands on that woman's flak jacket and mugging for the camera... that is just like a terrible joke, and it's not funny. It's wrong, and he shouldn't have done that," the "Downsizing" actor elaborated his opinion.
He added, "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. That stuff happened secretly, because it was criminal and he knew it. So they don't belong in the same category."
Following the interview, The New York Daily News criticized Damon's comments as "tone-deaf." Vulture said the actor's opinions were "bad" and The Telegraph called it a "car-crash interview." Meanwhile, a Twitter user wrote, "In 2018, Matt Damon should be cancelled."
