Matt Damon has said the Hollywood sex scandal encompasses a spectrum of behaviour.

The Good Will Hunting star said he could not think of a female friend who did not have a story to tell from “some point of their life”  and that the “rotten apples are getting weeded out” of Hollywood.

But Damon, 47, told Popcorn With Peter Travers, on ABC News, that not all men in the industry should be painted with the same brush.

“I would like to point out that, even though it feels like there’s this avalanche of men, how many people in the movie business have taken a tumble now? …. Think of how many men are in the movie business… this is like 1% of the guys, It’s not everybody, it just feels like it,” he said.

Harvey Weinstein (Anthony Devlin/PA)
Harvey Weinstein (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Discussing the scandal that has engulfed the industry since allegations arose against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, he told the show: “We’re in this watershed moment and I think it’s great. It’s wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories and it’s totally necessary.”

But he added: “I do believe that there’s a spectrum of behaviour and we’re going to have to figure, you know, there’s a difference between, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation.

“Both of those behaviours need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn’t be conflated.”

Weinstein denies allegations of non-consensual sex.

Speaking about the rape allegations against Weinstein, Damon said that “nobody who made movies for him knew …

“I knew I wouldn’t want him married to anyone close to me. But that was the extent of what we knew, you know?”