George Clooney hits out at Woody Allen's 'witch-hunt' comment on Harvey Weinstein

LOS ANGELES: George Clooney has hit out at director Woody Allen for his "witch hunt" remarks about disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, calling it a "stupid thing to say".

The Oscar-winning director had voiced his concern about Hollywood slipping into a "witch-hunt" culture in the aftermath of Harvey Weinstein scandal where multiple women accused the producer of sexual misconduct.

"The reality is it's not a witch hunt to these women who were trapped in a hotel room and told they were going to get a part and then suddenly here comes Harvey Weinstein in his birthday suit. That's an assault," said Clooney, without naming the filmmaker, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"It's not just Hollywood it's all of society and we're going to have to come to terms with it because we haven't yet," Clooney told reporters at the Los Angeles premiere of his latest directorial venture "Surburbicon".

Clooney said it was "infuriating" for him to read stories about reporters who investigated the scandal but did not print them for years.

"Why didn't you print that story? I would have liked to [have] seen it. And I would like to know who brought actresses up to Harvey Weinstein's room and then left. I'd like to know that," said Clooney.

The actor-director hoped that the scandal acts as a "watershed moment" for society where women feel safe enough to talk about sexual harassment.

"What we hope is this is a watershed moment for society where women feel safe enough to talk about this issue, feel believed and where men who are committing these crimes [and] violations don't feel safe and feel as if they do these things they're going to be outed, sued and may even get litigated and go to jail for it

"If we can get to that point then we actually succeeded. This thing won't end up just being Harvey Weinstein jokes in three months," he added.