Former Monty Python star Terry Gilliam has hit out at the #MeToo Movement, labelling it "a witch hunt", saying he is "tired, as a white male, of being blamed for everything that is wrong with the world".

The writer and director made comments during an interview where he also said he "better not be a man".

Talking to the Independent, Gilliam said: "Yeah, I said #MeToo is a witch hunt - I really feel there were a lot of people, decent people, or mildly irritating people, who were getting hammered. That's wrong. I don't like mob mentality.

"I understand that men have had more power longer, but I'm tired, as a white male, of being blamed for everything that is wrong with the world - I didn't do it!

"I'm talking about being a man accused of all the wrong in the world because I'm white-skinned. So I better not be a man. I better not be white. OK, since I don't find men sexually attractive, I've got to be a lesbian. What else can I be? I like girls. These are just logical steps."

It is not the first time Gilliam, known for films such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegasstarring Johnny Depp and12 Monkeysstarring Brad Pitt, has made controversial comments.

Speaking at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, in 2018 Gilliam said: "You know I no longer want to be a white male and be blamed for everything; I tell the world I am a BLGT, Black Lesbian in Transition and my name is Loretta.

"Comedy is not assembled – a boy, a girl, white, black, a dog... I want to be trans-species. Transgender is not enough."

The director has faced an angry reaction on Twitter following the interview...

And we're tired of white men calling 'witch hunt' and refusing to examine the societal privileges that afford them so much scope to behave poorly without consequence 🤷‍♀️ https://t.co/sjiwc53Z4A — WomensEqualityUK (@WEP_UK) 4 January 2020

Gilliam is an aging troll who isn't remotely invested in his own provocation. It's totally fine to roll your eyes, say, "Oh Terry," and pretend like he never said anything at all. — Vikram Murthi (@fauxbeatpoet) 4 January 2020

Oh FFS! Not Terry Gilliam again. He's just going off on a rant about how he's such a victim. Good lord. He doesn't understand the call for diversity or #metoo at all. But this is nothing new. How very disappointing. https://t.co/UhqggM27GE — Shara loves Tolkien and Gackt❤️❤️❤️🏳️‍🌈🌈 (@sharagodwinson) 4 January 2020

lmao shout out to terry gilliam and the rest of the monty python lads for coming across as such miserable decrepit bigots that they have ensured gen z will never ever give a shit about them, freeing the current gen of young women from having to hear boys parrot monty python jokes — lucy uprichard (@lucyuprichard) 4 January 2020

White men, since ever: We own everything. We rule everything. We are entitled to everything. We are even going to make all the rules for generations. Most of the money too. Ha. Ha.



Terry Gilliam, 2020: Waaaahhh. Why is it OUR FAULT if things are broken and bad? Don't blame US!! https://t.co/kLqZgGb6fr — Toots the Redhead 💅🏻 👩‍🦰 (@TootsTheRed) 4 January 2020

Gilliam is currently promoting latest movie The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, which is loosely based on the seventeenth century novel written by Miguel de Cervantes.

The film, which stars Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce, is released in the UK this month.

- This article first appeared on Yahoo