Yahoo News Catherine Deneuve apologises to sexual assault victims
Catherine Deneuve has apologised to victims of sexual assault after signing an open letter condemning the #MeToo movement as a "witch-hunt".
In the new letter, published in Libération (via The Guardian), Deneuve wrote: "Yes, I signed that petition, however, it seems absolutely necessary today to underline my disagreement with the way certain signatories have individually assumed the right to expand upon it in the media, distorting the spirit of the text.
"That is why I want to say to conservatives, racists and traditionalists of all kinds who have found it strategic to support me, I am not fooled. They will have neither my gratitude nor my friendship, quite the contrary. I am a free woman and I will continue to be."
She continued: "I fraternally salute all women victims of odious acts who might have felt assaulted by the letter in Le Monde. It is to them, and them alone, that I apologise."
In the latest letter, Deneuve also wrote that "obviously nothing in the text claims that harassment is good, otherwise I wouldn't have signed it".
Last week's letter, which was published in the newspaper Le Monde (via The Guardian), said: "Rape is a crime, but trying to seduce someone, even persistently or cack-handedly, is not – nor is men being gentlemanly a macho attack.
"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."
Following the Harvey Weinstein scandal, numerous women in Hollywood and fashion, among other industries, have come forward to reveal their experiences of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
The #MeToo campaign, in which women around the world shared their stories, showed the depressing pervasiveness of the issue.
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