Ben Affleck has publicly apologised for groping actor Hilarie Burton during an appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live in 2003.

Burton criticised Affleck on Twitter after he released a statement condemning producer Harvey Weinstein for alleged acts of s^xual harassment and abuse.

Burton responded to a Twitter user who said that Affleck “grabbed Hilarie Burton’s breasts on TRL once.

Everyone forgot though.” Burton, who co-hosted the live music show, replied: “I didn’t forget.” Burton was just 21 at the time of the incident, and called herself “just a kid” when it happened.

Affleck said on Twitter that he “acted inappropriately toward Mrs.

Burton and I sincerely apologise.”

Additionally, a video from 2004 has been unearthed which shows Affleck asking Canadian journalist Anne-Marie Losique to expose herself while she sits on his lap during a junket for Miramax film Jersey Girl.

“These breasts are really firm, suspiciously firm, they are like two giant stones,” he says to her.

He also appears to touch her nipple, suggesting they recreate a “Janet Jackson” moment.

Later in the video, he goes on to say, “Don’t make me look like I am retarded! I look like I have cerebral palsy.”

In response to Affleck’s statement condemning Weinstein, actor Rose McGowan accused him of lying about his knowledge of Weinstein’s alleged s^xual abuse of women.

McGowan, who had reached a $100,000 settlement with Weinstein over an incident in a hotel room in 1997, took to Twitter to criticise Affleck’s response.

“‘GODDAMNIT! I TOLD HIM TO STOP DOING THAT’ you said that to my face. The press conf I was made to go to after assault. You lie,” she wrote.

When asked whether she was accusing Affleck of knowing about Weinstein’s alleged acts towards her and of lying because his statement did not give any indication that he was aware of Weinstein’s alleged past behaviour, McGowan said, “I am saying exactly that.”

Weinstein was an executive producer on Affleck’s breakthrough film Good Will Hunting and worked with him on several other occasions.

McGowan has been an outspoken critic of Weinstein and those with ties to him in recent days.

She has called on The Weinstein Company to dissolve its board over the scandal.

The New York Times reported that Weinstein had raped three women, and this allegation prompted actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie to make accusations of s^xual harassment against the producer.

Weinstein denied the allegations through a spokesperson.

The scandal has resulted in condemnation from Weinstein’s allies in politics, including Barack and Michelle Obama, whose daughter Malia had served as an intern in Weinstein’s company earlier this year, and Hillary Clinton.

However, several prominent figures in the entertainment industry with ties to Weinstein have yet to comment on the allegations, including Quentin Tarantino and McGowan’s former partner Robert Rodriguez.

On Monday, McGowan criticised Affleck’s long-time co-writer Matt Damon, who at the time had not addressed the allegations against his friend Weinstein.

Damon has since condemned Weinstein’s alleged acts but denied knowledge of his alleged past behaviour.

“If there was ever an event that I was at and Harvey was doing this kind of thing and I didn’t see it, then I am so deeply sorry because I would have stopped it,” he told Deadline.

Burton’s comments on Twitter, along with the video of Affleck’s comments to Anne-Marie Losique, have further fuelled the debate around s^xual harassment and assault in Hollywood.

Since the allegations against Weinstein became public, many women have come forward with their own stories of abuse, harassment, and misconduct at the hands of powerful men in the entertainment industry.

This includes actors such as Ashley Judd, Asia Argento, and Lena Headey.

The allegations have led to the creation of the #MeToo movement, which encourages women to share their experiences of s^xual harassment and assault on social media.

In response to the Weinstein scandal, a number of prominent men in Hollywood have also spoken out about their own experiences and the role men need to play in combating harassment and assault.

This includes actor Terry Crews, who shared his own story of being groped by a Hollywood executive at a party, and actor James Van Der Beek, who shared his experiences of harassment and abuse as a young actor.

The scandal has also led to a broader conversation about the need for change in Hollywood and other industries where men hold a disproportionate amount of power.

This includes calls for greater diversity, both in terms of gender and ethnicity, as well as greater transparency and accountability in how allegations of harassment and abuse are handled.

In October 2017, The New York Times reported that Weinstein had reached eight settlements with women over the years, including McGowan.

The same month, the New Yorker published a report that detailed multiple allegations of s^xual assault and harassment against Weinstein.