Catherine Deneuve criticises #MeToo campaign claiming it threatens 'sexual freedom'

French actress Catherine Deneuve is facing a backlash after she defended the right of men to hit on women.

Deneuve was one of 100 women who signed an open letter published in Le Monde newspaper which argued the current fallout from the Harvey Weinstein allegations, including the #MeToo campaign, stems from a “hatred of men” that will lead to “puritanism”.

It claims the “legitimate protest against sexual violence” has gone too far and is now threatening sexual freedoms.

“Rape is a crime, but trying to seduce someone, even persistently or clumsily, is not – nor is men being gentlemanly a macho attack,” the letter said.

“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.

“What began as freeing women up to speak has today turned into the opposite – we intimidate people into speaking 'correctly', shut down those who don't fall into line, and those women who refused to bend are regarded as complicit and traitors.

“Instead of helping women, this frenzy to send these (male chauvinist) 'pigs' to the abattoir actually helps the enemies of sexual liberty – religious extremists and the worst sort of reactionaries.”

Those who penned the letter have argued that women are “clear-eyed enough not to confuse an awkward attempt to pick someone up with a sexual attack”.

The #MeToo hashtag was set up to denounce sexual assault and harassment in the wake of the sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein, who has denied engaging in non-consensual sex.

Deneuve was slated by Weinstein accuser Rose McGowan who rejected her claim that the campaign is a “witch hunt”.

She tweeted: “THIS IS NOT A WITCH HUNT. Read this. Get it straight. P.S. I am not #MeToo, I am a #MeToo.”

The letter sparked a furious fallout on Twitter with many branding the signatories “arrogant” and “disgraceful”.

One user tweeted: “If #CatherineDeneuve and those other 99 French women believe that asking for respect in the workplace makes us Puritans, their Emotional Quotients are very low. Selfish, arrogant people are the root of the problems we have had to face at the hands of sexual predators. #MeToo.”

Another posted: “B******* #CatherineDeneuve. Far too many women (most younger & less powerful than you) have paid far too high a price for this f***** up idea that some 'stolen' kisses and light fondling in the workplace is sexy and ok.”

A third wrote: “#CatherineDeneuve's views belong to an era when women were nothing more than slaves of men.”

Other signatories include actress Christine Boisson and talk show host Brigitte Lahaie.