Sean Penn said some very dumb things about #MeToo while promoting his new show

Sean Penn.
(Image credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Sean Penn is once again sparking controversy with a highly questionable assessment of the #MeToo movement.

The actor sat down for an interview with Today on Monday to discuss his new show The First, which recently premiered on Hulu. Host Natalie Morales suggested the sci-fi show's strong women may have been inspired by #MeToo, prompting Penn to say that he hopes that's not the case. The #MeToo movement "was largely shouldered by a kind of receptacle of the salacious," Penn said.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.