Los Angeles, Feb 2 : British star Thandiwe Newton has slammed Academy Award-winner Sean Penn for his “men have become feminised” comment and called him “tragic” and “jibbering fool”. The 49-year-old “Mission: Impossible” actress took to social media to slam the “Dead Man Walking” star, who bemoaned American men for their “cowardly genes” in January interview. “SeanPenn (laughing emoji) Dude what are you SAY-ING?? Like for REAL? You’re a jibbering FOOL. MF you used to be sexy but now you’re just tragic (sic),” Newton tweeted. Penn, who is starring in the coming-of-age drama ‘Licorice Pizza’, insisted that the “strong women” he knows do not view “masculinity” as a way of “oppressing” them. “I am in the club that believes that men in American culture have become wildly feminised. I don’t think that being a brute or having insensitivity or disrespect for women has anything to do with masculinity, or ever did. “But I don’t think that (in order) to be fair to women, we should become them,” Penn told The Independent earlier. The 61-year-old went on to elaborate his comments, saying, “I think that men have, in my view, become quite feminised. I have these very strong women in my life who do not take masculinity as a sign of oppression toward them. There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt.” Penn was being interviewed alongside his daughter, Dylan Penn (30), to promote their film “Flag Day”. The Independent noted that Penn’s comments regarding men becoming “quite feminised” left his daughter “quiet, staring into space”. In response to the controversial interview, Newton added: “In front of your DAUGHTER!? That poor little mite. Thank God her Mum’s so dope. Please stop ruining the brilliance of #LicoricePizza with this nonsense. (sic)” Penn also criticised “failed citizens” who inhabit “privileged countries” such as the US and their stance against Covid-19 vaccination. He explained: “Sometimes people take their privilege and freedom as a right to be anti-citizen, to be failed citizens – those who will search out the kind of bogus science that would give them legitimacy (when it comes to) not being vaccinated.” (UNI)