Ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the most banked stars in Hollywood, the American actor Matt Damon has been hardly criticized after an interview he gave this Wednesday to ABC News’ Popcorn With Peter Travers. One of the main subjects he talked about was the bunch of men we’ve seen these past months accused of sexual assault.
Damon began the interview agreeing that sexual misconduct was wrong. He said that we’re in a “watershed moment,” which he dubbed as “great.” Then, he continued saying that women who are “feeling empowered” to comment on their stories and assaults are “wonderful.” He commented that, indeed, it was “totally necessary.”
However – and here comes the “but” – Damon talked about a “spectrum of behavior” that people should consider before judging both the victim and the possible-called-assaulter.
The also screenwriter differentiated between “patting someone” on the lower-back of its body and “rape or child molestation.” Then, he told Peter Travers that – although both behaviors should be “confronted and eradicated” – these two don’t need to be “conflated.”
When talking about Al Franken’s case, the Downsizing actor informed he would prefer there would have “an Ethics Committee investigation.” Thus, concluding that our generation is “energized to kind of get retribution.”
“We live in this culture of outrage and injury,” the film producer said Wednesday. “We’re going to have to correct enough to kind of go, ‘Wait a minute. None of us came here perfect.’ You know what I mean?”
Damon then opened delicate cases, like Louis C.K.’s and Harvey Weinstein’s.
Defending controversial Hollywood men
The American comedian, Louis C.K., was recently arrested after being accused of exposing himself to five different women – who, in the end, he apologized to.
Although Damon commented he didn’t know “all the details” about the case of the man who admitted having masturbated in front of some of those women, he said he deserved another chance.
Damon took the comedian’s apologize like a good sign which he’d “work with.” He said that admitting that the women were telling the truth was the first step of all and that Louis was giving it.
By demonizing Louis, according to Damon, people are also telling others who are younger that denying it is a better way to continue. Then, if these seemed forced to “take responsibility,” they wouldn’t do it because their lives would “get ruined.”
Then, Matt talked about Weinstein, who has been accused of rape by tens of women and recently denied any of the allegations.
Damon said that no proof on Harvey would back what the women are saying about him. According to the actor, there are no “pictures, witnesses, or braggadocio.” Then, he linked the case to another “category.”
“Nobody who made movies for him knew… Any human being would’ve put a stop to that, no matter who he was. They would’ve said absolutely no. You know what I mean?” said Damon after admitting that what people “knew” is that Harvey has a hard character, and the he likes to keep it that way because he makes the “best movies.”
According to him, he wouldn’t like anyone close to him to marry Harvey. Then, he admitted that it was obvious Weinstein was a “womanizer,” and that people only needed to “look” at him to know it.
The actor then said that, although both of them have worked together, he would like to keep his distance from Weinstein.
Source: ABC News