Steven Spielberg has come out in support of the #MeToo sexual abuse campaign, calling it a “watershed moment.”

In a series of interviews, the Oscar-winning director said: "I don't see it as a witch-hunt at the moment - I don't. I'm sorry I don't see it as a witch-hunt - I see it as an imperative.

“This is a watershed moment, not just in this industry where we get a lot of easy publicity, but this is going to be a watershed moment for farm workers, for people who work in hotels, for people who work in restaurants and for women all over the country.”

He continued: “This is not just another blip on the news cycle, this is something that isn't just going to be yesterday's news in 24 hours. This is something that is going to change everything for the better."

The director also called Oprah Winfrey “the ambassador of empathy” who would make “an absolutely brilliant president” after her Golden Globes speech on sexual harassment.

Mr Spielberg said: "I think we need a mindful, empathetic human being in the White House who understands people and puts people ahead of their own ideas of power and self-aggrandisement – and I think Oprah has already proved her capacity for selflessness."

Spielberg's new film, The Post, about the first female publisher of an American newspaper, Kay Graham, and her battle to publish the Pentagon Papers, is currently showing in cinemas.