Catherine Deneuve has become a rare dissenting voice in the sexual harassment scandal that has convulsed the film industry in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations.

Arguably France’s most celebrated screen performer, with nearly 60 years of acting behind her, Deneuve questioned the point of the internet campaign against harassment, which in France is coalescing around the Twitter hashtag #balancetonporc (“expose your pig”).

In an interview with the French edition of the Huffington Post, Deneuve said she thought the “flood” of social media posting was “terrible”. “Is it interesting to talk about it like this? Does it help? Does it add anything? Will it solve the problem in any way?” But Deneuve also expressed sympathy for the victims of abuse, saying the situation was “vile for the women who have only that [way to testify].”

In another interview for BFM TV, Deneuve refused to criticise Weinstein directly, saying she would not “make a moral judgment on him” but that “things might come out”.

On being asked whether she had experienced abuse or harassment, Deneuve replied: “I have never said anything about that, but I am not going to tell you anything.”