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Rose McGowan Speaks Out About Asia Argento Sexual Assault Allegations


A week after a New York Times report detailed allegations of sexual assault against Italian actress and #MeToo activist Asia Argento, outspoken friend and fellow activist Rose McGowan has shared her thoughts—and a message to Argento—with the public.

In a lengthy statement released by McGowan and published on multiple websites, the actress says of Argento, “be the person you wish Harvey could have been,” in response to her denial of the allegations.

According to the Times, Argento—who was one of the first women to publicly accuse producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault—secretly agreed to pay $380,000 to a young male actor named Jimmy Bennett who accused her of sexual misconduct in 2013. She has since denied the report, calling it “absolutely false.” The two had acted together in the 2004 movie, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, playing mother and son.

When the report initially broke, McGowan simply tweeted, “I got to know Asia Argento ten months ago. Our commonality is the shared pain of being assaulted by Harvey Weinstein. My heart is broken. I will continue my work on behalf of victims everywhere.”

But on Monday, McGowan’s statement revealed much more. According to the statement, McGowan’s partner, Rain Dove, says Argento admitted to sleeping with Bennett in a text exchange that has since been turned over to authorities. The statement comes after entertainment website TMZ published screenshots of what they said to be a text conversation between Argento and a friend.

“I know that coming to me with those messages must have been hard for Rain because of that so I commend them for their bravery,” she continues in the statement.

McGowan maintains that she is still an ally to victims of abuse and that she, herself, has been humbled by the Argento allegations.

“To the people who have checked in with me to see if I’m alright—the answer is thank you and Yes. I’ll be fine. It’s sad to lose a friend connection, but what’s even more sad is what happened to Jimmy Bennet [sic],” the statement read.

“Whether or not the extortion case is true—it wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. It is the type of thing I fight against alongside so many. The reason I haven’t released a statement is because I’ve frankly been extremely humbled by this event…. I had to take a step back and realize that in my own activism while I fight hard with passion—I need to evolve. In the past I have been occasionally angry. As a victim I was justified in fiery feelings. But I know that those accused are the friends, parents, and family members of other people,” the statement reads. “There absolutely should be no leeway or tolerance for sexual assault. Hard stop. NONE. Victims also shouldn’t be told how they should react or what they should say about their abusers. However as allies to the victim and voyeurs of an event we should find a better way to balance support of the victim with due process for the accused. I’ve never claimed to be perfect. This week especially has made me come to terms with the fact that we all have a lot of growing to do, including myself.”

McGowan also addresses Argento directly. “Asia you were my friend. I loved you. You’ve spent and risked a lot to stand with the MeToo movement. I really hope you find your way through this process to rehabilitation and betterment,” she writes.

“Anyone can be be better—I hope you can be, too. Do the right thing. Be honest. Be fair. Let justice stay its course.”

Read the full statement here.

MORE: If We Want Men to Be a Part of #MeToo, We Have to Stop Gendering the Movement





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Asia Argento Responds to Sexual Misconduct Allegations


The Internet exploded with takes on the future of the #MeToo movement Sunday after a New York Times report claimed Italian actress Asia Argento—a vocal leader for survivors of sexual violence—secretly paid off a young male actor who accused her of sexual assault. Now Argento is speaking out herself, saying she strongly denies the “contents” of the article and clarifying her relationship with actor Jimmy Bennett.

An intent-to-sue document obtained by the Times states that Argento engaged in a sexual encounter in May of 2013 with the then 17-year-old actor and musician, with whom she had costarred in the 2004 film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things. According to the document, the incident occurred in Argento’s Ritz-Carlton hotel room in Marina del Rey, California. Argento, per the account in the Times report, asked a family member who arrived with Bennett to leave before serving him alcohol and engaging in intercourse with him. Argento eventually agreed to pay Bennett $380,000, the Times reports.

At the time of publication, the actress and her team had not responded to the Times‘ repeated attempts for comment, but on Tuesday, she released a statement to journalist Yashar Ali in which she denies the account.

“I strongly deny and oppose the contents of the New York Times article dated 20 August 2018, as circulated also in national and international news,” Argento writes. “I am deeply shocked and hurt by having read news that is absolutely false. I have never had any sexual relationship with Bennett.”

She goes on to describe her account of how the payment came to be, alleging that she had a “friendship” with Bennett that ended when he “unexpectedly made an exorbitant request of money from me.” Argento says that Bennett was having economic problems at the time and references him taking legal action against members of his own family over finances.

“Bennett knew my boyfriend, Anthony Bourdain, was a man of great perceived wealth and had his own reputation as a beloved public figure to protect,” the statement reads.

She continues by claiming that Bourdain (and Bennett) wanted the matter handled privately and that Bourdain, also worried about the negative publicity, considered him “dangerous.” Argento says that Bourdain “personally undertook to [sic] help Bennett economically, upon the condition that we would no longer suffer any further intrusions in our life.” (Bourdain died by suicide in June of this year.)

The actress says that she will “oppose such false allegations” and seek out “all necessary initiatives for my protection before all competent venues.”

Argento herself has come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct at the hands of disgraced Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein. While Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to six felony sexual assault counts in New York, including first-degree rape, he has denied all of her claims about their encounters.

The Times‘ report sparked online conversation about the legitimacy of #MeToo, prompting leaders and supporters to respond with statements that urged the public not to let allegations against Argento negate the movement at large.

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New Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Asia Argento Shouldn't Negate the #MeToo Movement


A new report from the New York Times claims Asia Argento, the Italian actress who was among one of the first women to accuse producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, secretly agreed to pay a young male actor who accused her of sexual misconduct following her own admissions about Weinstein.

The Times reported that it obtained documents containing allegations that the actor, identified as Jimmy Bennett, was sexually assaulted by Argento in 2013 when he was 17. (The age of consent in California is 18.) The two had acted together in a 2004 movie, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, playing mother and son.

The paper reports that seeing Argento emerge publicly as a sexual assault victim brought back memories for Bennett, citing an intent to sue document in which his lawyer wrote, “His feelings about that day were brought to the forefront recently when Ms. Argento took the spotlight as one of the many victims of Harvey Weinstein.”

Argento was one of the first women to publicly accuse Weinstein of assault, and subsequently became one of the movement’s most vocal voices. She described an incident to the New Yorker where she said she was led to Weinstein’s hotel believing it to be a studio party, but instead found the movie mogul alone in the room. She says he asked her for a massage, which she reluctantly agreed to do. According to Argento, Weinstein “pulled her skirt up, forced her legs apart, and performed oral sex on her as she repeatedly told him to stop.”

Argento also gave a rousing speech at this year’s Cannes Film Festival where she described the event as “hunting grounds” for Weinstein. (While Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to six felony sexual assault counts in New York, including first-degree rape, none are related to Argento. He has denied all of her claims about their encounters.)

According to the intent to sue document cited by the Times, the two were “intermittently” in contact afterward starring in the 2004 film together. “Jimmy’s impression of this situation was that a mother-son relationship had blossomed from their experience on set together,” his lawyer wrote. According to Bennett’s account of what occurred in May of 2013, the young actor met up with Argento in her Ritz-Carlton hotel room in Marina del Rey, California with a family member.

The Times reports that the account states that Argento asked the family member to leave and that she then served Bennett alcohol and kissed him before performing oral sex and engaging in intercourse with him. Argento also reportedly took a number of photos with Bennett, some with the two semi-clothed, which were included in the intent to sue document.

According to the paper, Argento eventually agreed to pay Bennett $380,000.

Following the report, many Twitter users starting criticizing #MeToo, seemingly conflating the allegations against Argento with the movement at large.

But others, including #MeToo leaders, are taking to Twitter to sort out their feelings amidst these new allegations. It’s a complex and nuanced discussion, to say the least.

These are incredibly serious allegations and should be treated as such. But what they should not do is take down or negate all the work that the #MeToo movement has done over the past year. It’s almost becoming cliche to say, but two things can be true at the same time. Argento’s alleged behavior does not mean that what happened to her and many other women at the hands of predatory men like Weinstein didn’t occur or that the issues surrounding women in the workplace are not still valid and important.

Argento and her team have yet to respond to the Times‘ repeated requests for comment.

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Asia Argento: Cannes Was Harvey Weinstein's 'Hunting Grounds'


On Saturday, Italian actress and activist Asia Argento addressed the crowd at Cannes, bravely calling out the festival as former producer and alleged serial sexual assaulter Harvey Weinstein‘s “hunting grounds.”

“I was raped by Harvey Weinstein in Cannes in 1997,” Argento said while standing next to director Ava DuVernay as they presented the Best Actress prize. “I was 21 years old. This festival was his hunting ground. I’m going to make a prediction: Harvey Weinstein will never be welcomed here again. He will never disgrace the community that once embraced him and covered up for his crimes.”

Argento noted as she looked out into the crowd, she saw several people who “need to be held accountable for their conduct against women. You know who you are.”

Argento added: “But most importantly we know who you are and we will not allow you to get away with it any longer.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Argento’s comments silenced the crowd. Those attending, THR reports, looked visibly stunned. Following her speech, jury president Cate Blanchett stood up on stage and added, “It is complicated as a woman to stand.”

Argento later posted a clip of her speech to her Instagram account, writing “Speaking Truth To Power in Cannes since nobody else would do it ✊ Women Fight On! This speech goes out to all my sisters. I love you. I am grateful. We shall prevail. #cannes2018 #cloture”

Though Argento’s words were an important message to the wider film industry, the festival has refused to update its own code of conduct to specifically ban sexual harassment. Instead, it’s set up a hotline for victims to call.

In 2017, Argento detailed Weinstein’s alleged assault to the New Yorker, explaining that when the assault happened she did not speak out because she feared retribution and that Weinstein would “crush” her career.

“I know he has crushed a lot of people before,” Argento said. “That’s why this story—in my case, it’s 20 years old; some of them are older—has never come out.”

According to Argento’s account, she was asked to attend a party thrown by Miramax at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, on the French Riviera. She explained she felt she needed to attend for professional reasons—but when a producer brought her upstairs, it was just Weinstein alone in the room.

“I’m like, ‘Where is the fucking party?’” she told New Yorker, adding that the producer replied, “Oh, we got here too early,” and then left her alone with Weinstein.

Argento alleged that Weinstein at first praised her work, before leaving the room and returning only wearing a bathrobe.

“He asks me to give a massage. I was, like, ‘Look, man, I am no fucking fool,’” Argento said. “But, looking back, I am a fucking fool. And I am still trying to come to grips with what happened.”

Argento said she reluctantly agreed to give him a massage, at which point Weinstein allegedly pulled up her skirt and performed oral sex on the actress against her will.

“The thing with being a victim is I felt responsible,” she said. “Because, if I were a strong woman, I would have kicked him in the balls and run away. But I didn’t. And so I felt responsible.”

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Rose McGowan and Asia Argento Speak Out Against Golden Globes Protest


Sunday’s Golden Globes marked what many hope will be a sea change for women, not only in Hollywood, but across all industries. Hollywood’s A-list actresses stood in solidarity, most opting to wear black, to visually speak out against the the mistreatment and harassment of women—both physically and financially. Some brought activists as their guests, like #MeToo founder Tarana Burke and Aj-jen Poo, the leader of the Domestic Workers Alliance.

The rallying cry for most was “Time’s Up” which is also the name of the action plan (and legal defense fund) started by 300 of Hollywood’s most powerful women. Pins were worn, conversations were started, Oprah brought us all to our feet—and women were at the center of it all. For the most part, the evening was a uniting force whether you were in the room or watching at home on TV (and Twitter!)

PHOTO: Rena Laverty/AFP/Getty Images

Rose McGowan

But not everyone agreed with the methods and the message. An interesting conversation emerged in a Twitter thread that started with Asia Argento responding to a tweet from Rose McGowan, “No one should forget that you were the first one who broke the silence. Anyone who tries to diminish your work is a troll and an enemy of the movement. You gave me the courage to speak out. I am on your side until I die.” Both actresses were early (and important) on-the-record accusers of Harvey Weinstein. McGowan also pointed fingers at what she described as “Hollywood fakery,” tweeting that none of the “fancy people wearing black to honor our rapes” would have done a thing about them if she and Argento had not spoken out.

Argento went on to say that she was not invited to be part of the Globes, with another Weinstein accuser, Rosanna Arquette, adding that she and others were left out as well. (Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd, who both spoke out about their own experiences with Weinstein, did attend the red carpet and the ceremony.)

Argento went even further saying that she was not consulted about Time’s Up or signing the initial letter of support, but that she does still believe in the cause.

No movement in history is without complications, and we only hope that everyone’s voices continue to be heard.





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Asia Argento Just Tweeted a Google Doc of Over 100 Harvey Weinstein Accusers


Following yet another bombshell Harvey Weinstein report published in The New Yorker—this one chronicling the producer’s alleged “army of spies” meant to silence sexual misconduct allegations—actress Asia Argento tweeted a Google document of over 100 women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault on Tuesday afternoon.

The list spans more than three decades, with the first alleged incident dating back to 1980. A former employee named Paula Wachonak said she was harassed by Weinstein, who once “answered the door wearing nothing but a hand towel.” Among the 100+ stories, over a dozen alleged instances of rape are highlighted. The document makes note of women who reached settlements with the producer and notes, in some instances, how their experiences with Weinstein cost them their careers.

In an investigation published last month, Argento told The New Yorker about an alleged incident that occurred with Weinstein when she was 21. She had been invited to a hotel party on the French Riviera and attended, thinking it’d be a studio-wide celebration. When she arrived, she was greeted by only by Weinstein. The producer asked for a massage and after she hesitantly agreed, Weinstein then “pulled her skirt up, forced her legs apart, and performed oral sex on her as she repeatedly told him to stop.”

According to the latest report from The New Yorker, as Weinstein hired private investigators to track the women who planned to bring forward sexual harassment allegations, he contacted the actress to give testimony on his behalf. Argento ultimately refused to do so, and in a Tweet posted Tuesday she referenced being tracked by ex-Mossad agents.

Argento’s story is just one of numerous sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein—a growing list that has now reached triple-digits. Sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood is nothing new , but the recently-released list further reinforces how pervasive this type of predatory behavior is—and how women will no longer stay silent to this deplorable conduct.





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