Hollywood legend Sean Penn has sparked controversy with his outspoken comments about the #MeToo movement which he claims is "dividing men and women".

"This is a movement that was largely shouldered by a kind of receptacle of the salacious,” Sean Penn said during an interview with NBC’s Today show.

"We don’t know what’s a fact in many of the cases. Salacious is as soon as you call something a movement that is really a series of many individual accusers, victims, accusations, some of which are unfounded.”

The Oscar winner believes “the spirit of much of what has been the #MeToo movement is to divide men and women”.

The 58-year-old actor also said that he doesn't like how anybody is immediately shot down for voicing concerns about the #MeToo movement.

“I don’t want it to be a trend and I’m very suspicious of a movement that gets glommed onto in great stridency and rage, and without nuance,” Sean Penn said. “And even when people try to discuss it in a nuanced way, the nuance itself is attacked. I think it’s too black and white. In most things that are very important, it’s really good to just slow down.”

Inevitably, Sean Penn's outspoken views have been met with a barrage of criticism on social media. Westworld star Thandie Newton among those calling to criticise him. She tweeted, "How much actual drivel is #SeanPenn attempting to string into ANYTHING coherent?"

This isn't the first time that Sean Penn has received backlash for his comments about #MeToo. Back in June, there was uproar when he told the Guardian newspaper that the #MeToo movement was “not intellectually honest”. He went even further by claiming that it was a “movement led by mania” with “self-aggrandisement and venting”.