Sean Penn says ‘cowardly genes’ have led to men ‘surrendering jeans for a skirt’

Sean Penn has claimed “cowardly genes” are leading people to “surrender their jeans and put on a skirt”.

The actor spoke about his views on masculinity during a recent interview with The Independent, stating: “I think that men have, in my view, become quite feminised.”

Penn – who currently stars in the recently released action film Flag Day – added: “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.”

His daughter and Flag Day co-star Dylan Penn was also present during the joint interview, which is published today. According to the interviewer, she went “quiet” and “stared into space”.

Elsewhere in the conversation, Penn spoke about what it was like to star opposite Dylan in the film, which is based on the true story told in the 2004 book Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life by Jennifer Vogel.

Dylan Penn and Sean Penn in ‘Flag Day' (MGM/United Artists)

The Milk star also opened up about his views on anti-vaxxers, stating: “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.”

You can read the full interview with Sean and Dylan Penn here.