The #MeToo movement has become an entity of its own. Superman actor Henry Cavill recently spoke with GQ Australia about his hesitation to dating. Why? Because he’s afraid of the witch hunt that has become the #MeToo movement. He then faced massive backlash for his honesty and candor.

Cavill was first questioned about what he’s learned from the #MeToo movement:

“I’ve been fortunate enough to not be around the kind of people who behave that way. To my memory there’s been no moments where I look back and think, ‘Ooh, OK, maybe someone shouldn’t have gone through that’. I know there have been situations with people I’ve worked with being perhaps overfamiliar with some of the actresses. But, I’ve always walked up to them and said, ‘Hey, are you all right? That’s creepy’.”

He was then questioned about his own behavior:

“I like to think that I’ve never been like that. I think any human being alive today, if someone casts too harsh a light on anything, you could be like, ‘Well, OK, yeah, when you say it like that, maybe.’ But it’s such a delicate and careful thing to say because there’s flirting which, for example, in a social environment is in context – and is acceptable. And that has been done to me as well, in return.”

Cavill would add:

“Stuff has to change, absolutely. It’s important to also retain the good things, which were a quality of the past, and get rid of the bad things. There’s something wonderful about a man chasing a woman. There’s a traditional approach to that, which is nice. I think a woman should be wooed and chased, but maybe I’m old-fashioned for thinking that.”

And then Cavill would get to the heart of the situation:

“It’s very difficult to do that if there are certain rules in place. Because then it’s like: ‘Well, I don’t want to go up and talk to her, because I’m going to be called a rapist or something’. So you’re like, ‘Forget it, I’m going to call an ex-girlfriend instead, and then just go back to a relationship, which never really worked’. But it’s way safer than casting myself into the fires of hell, because I’m someone in the public eye, and if I go and flirt with someone, then who knows what’s going to happen?”

He adds:

“Now? Now you really can’t pursue someone further than, ‘No’. It’s like, ‘OK, cool’. But then there’s the, ‘Oh why’d you give up?’ And it’s like, ‘Well, because I didn’t want to go to jail?’”

Cavill doesn’t appear to be alone in this belief. A recent study from LeanIn.org reveals:

“Male managers are three times as likely to say they are uncomfortable mentoring women and twice as uncomfortable working alone with a woman The hesitation to meet with women outside of work is even more pronounced: Senior men were 3.5 times more likely to hesitate having a work dinner with a junior female colleague than a male one–and five times more likely to hesitate to travel for work with a junior woman.”

We’ve also recently seen AMC talk show host Chris Hardwick’s name dragged through the mud along with the loss of multiple business opportunities with AMC based off a single accusation from an ex-girlfriend.

Despite these facts, people were quick to go after Cavill.

This is absurd. If Henry Cavill doesn’t want to be called a rapist then all he has to do is… not rape anyone. The mental gymnastics some men are doing to position themselves as “victims” of #MeToo is insane. pic.twitter.com/nafnZiaXGH — Helen Price (@HelenRPrice) July 11, 2018

If you can’t tell the difference between welcome flirting and harassment/assault, you have a big problem. — Rachel Molnar (@Rachel_Mol) July 11, 2018

#HenryCavill if you’re concerned about flirting being seen as a rapist… how tf are you flirting pic.twitter.com/GgYKjB89r6 — Grace Hughson (@GHughson) July 11, 2018

Henry Cavill really said that the metoo movement makes him too scared to flirt in fear of being called a rapist… maybe you should check yourself and how you flirt then?? — crystal ? (@unflavouredchip) July 11, 2018

Folks are going to gloss right over Henry Cavill saying that he’ll just go back to an ex instead of dating, where he might be called a rapist. You can rape people that you’ve consensually slept with before too, Hank. Consent isn’t something that’s “grandfathered” in. — April (@ReignOfApril) July 12, 2018

I always knew Henry Cavill was trash but he literally explicitly said that he didnt know how to pursue a woman after she’d said “No.” In case he got called a rapist. And he doesn’t see the irony? IF A WOMAN SAYS NO THEN THERE IS NO FURTHER PURSUING YOU PIECE OF SHIT. — Jodie ? (@JodieBethStone) July 12, 2018

all of these kind of statements from men essentially boil down to whiny “I can’t act the way I used to,” and it’s like, “Right.” — James Wainwright (@wainwright_II) July 11, 2018

I feel like it’s pretty easy to avoid being an entitled creep. — emily michalakes (@emichalakes) July 12, 2018

But it didn’t take long for people to come to the defense of the Superman star.

You are way, way out. Morgan Freeman has landed in hot water recently for STARING at an interviewer too intently. Seriously. How you can’t see the movement is pushing genuine guys into worrying about what they do is beyond me. And that’s from a victim of abuse. — Jess Roberts (@JessSplash) July 12, 2018

I’m pretty sure he said what he said because of scenarios such as this.

I’m sure he doesn’t want to be publically dragged for doing something as little as asking for a phone number. pic.twitter.com/HbGG6j07fJ — Shittheldam (@Shittheldam) July 11, 2018

He knows the difference between sexual assault and just flirting with someone, he’s just afraid of the people who don’t. I don’t know if you’re blatantly igoring that or genuinely don’t realize it. — Keith (@Keith54455540) July 11, 2018

At this point, it is, considering the fact that a lot of men are being wrongfully accused and charged cause women want to take advantage too. — [email protected]:~$ (@mindofmaxii) July 12, 2018

the full extract of henry cavill talking about the me too movement and what he’s learned from it. those few things at the end may be stupid but his heart is definitely in the right place. pic.twitter.com/WMWa5PzVmh — raman ? (@etherealcavill) July 11, 2018

Henery Cavill seems to want to do the right thing in the end. Just because he has rational fears about a potential witch hunt, doesn’t mean he’s this horrible person. What do you think? Does Cavill have a point? And has the #MeToo movement created a wall of fear between the sexes?

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