French actor Catherine Deneuve defends men and blasts #MeToo movement; sparks fury on Twitter

French actor Catherine Deneuve and over 99 others signed a letter to denounce the #MeToo movement. However, her stance kicked up a storm in the West and didn't go down too well with French feminists on Twitter.

Led by veteran French actor Catherine Deneuve, a group of over 100 actors denounced the #MeToo movement and its French equivalent, #Balancetonporc (Call out your pig) — saying it has started a “witch hunt” against men in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Lambasting the movement, Deneuve said it unfairly punishes men for flirting “insistently or clumsily”.
Criticising the “new puritanism” and the tide of “denunciations” that have brought down scores of men following the sex-scandal that rocked Hollywood last year, the letter argued that men should be “free to hit on” women, stating: “Rape is a crime, but trying to seduce someone, even persistently or cack-handedly, is not – nor is men being gentlemanly a macho attack,” and “Men have been punished summarily, forced out of their jobs when all they did was touch someone’s knee or try to steal a kiss.”
However, her stance kicked up a storm in the West and didn’t go down well with French feminists on Twitter. The social networking website burst with a string of reactions that opposed the views expressed by Deneuve and others in the letter. Catch a glimpse of some tweets here.

Catherine Deneuve might have very different opinions about harassment if she weren’t an extraordinarily beautiful, very rich white woman living in a bubble of heightened privilege. And had some empathy.

— Colleen Doran (@ColleenDoran) January 9, 2018

@ Catherine Deneuve pic.twitter.com/169Dik5psf

— fatigay (@pamplemouz) January 9, 2018

I feel really sad for the women who published and signed this anti-#metoo text. Some of them have made a living off denying that men abused them.http://t.co/phWqT8JAPA

— Stephanie Lamy (@WCM_JustSocial) January 9, 2018

Very disturbing statement by French actress Catherine Deneuve. Normalizing sexual harassment is dangerous and irresponsible. Shame on her and the people who supports this. You are part of the problem. #metoo #BalanceTonPorc

— Rim-Sarah Alouane (@RimSarah) January 10, 2018

I’m inclined to think that both the #MeToo campaigners and Catherine Deneuve are a little bit right and a little bit wrong.

— Angela Night (@Angelheartnight) January 10, 2018

I doubt #CatherineDeneuve would be jumping to the defence of harassers if she weren’t living in a bubble of white, wealthy, privileged, cis womanhood. If she had spent 20 yrs in the service industry. If she had to use public transport. If she had to live in a ‘rough’ area #MeToo pic.twitter.com/6HnNUeaSJl

— Cerian Jenkins (@CerianJenkins) January 10, 2018

French actress Catherine Deneuve and a group of women penned a letter criticizing the #MeToo movement, saying it stems from “hatred of men and sexuality” and men should have the right to “pester” women and express their “macho aggression.” pic.twitter.com/Z20sXjhWOP

— AJ+ (@ajplus) January 10, 2018

We knew eventually another side to the #MeToo crowd would show up. Join #CatherineDeneuve & other Frenchwomen denouncing it. I think there’s right and wrong on both sides. Sexual abuse is wrong in every way no question but we also can’t forget it’s innocent UNTIL proven guilty

 

Snow Princess (@JoniPrincess) January 10, 2018