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Rose McGowan Calls Natalie Portman's Oscars Cape Highlighting Female Directors ‘Offensive’


She calls Portman “part of the problem” with her “fake support of other women.”

“There is no law that says you need to hire women, work with women, or support women. By all means, you do you. But I am saying stop pretending you’re some kind of champion for anything other than yourself,” McGowan continued. “As for me, I’ll be over here raising my voice and fighting for change without any compensation. That is activism. Until you and your fellow actresses get real, do us all a favor and hang up your embroidered activist cloak, it doesn’t hang right.”

McGowan continued in her post, “I was at a Women in Film event that you spoke at once, Natalie. You reeled off depressing statistics and then we all went back to our salads. I quickly realized you and the other women speakers (and that joke of an organization) are just… frauds. You say nothing, you do nothing.”

Portman responded with a statement of her own, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I agree with Ms. McGowan that it is inaccurate to call me ‘brave’ for wearing a garment with women’s names on it. ‘Brave’ is a term I more strongly associate with actions like those of the women who have been testifying against Harvey Weinstein the last few weeks, under incredible pressure,” she said.

She also acknowledged the fact that she has not worked with a huge number of female directors over the course of her career. “It is true I’ve only made a few films with women. In my long career, I’ve only gotten the chance to work with female directors a few times—I’ve made shorts, commercials, music videos and features with Marya Cohen, Mira Nair, Rebecca Zlotowski, Anna Rose Holmer, Sofia Coppola, Shirin Neshat and myself,” Portman said. “Unfortunately, the unmade films I have tried to make are a ghost history.”

But, she says, that doesn’t account for all the projects that never went forward. “I have had the experience a few times of helping get female directors hired on projects which they were then forced out of because of the conditions they faced at work,” she said. “So I want to say, I have tried, and I will keep trying. While I have not yet been successful, I am hopeful that we are stepping into a new day.”

Director Marielle Heller said hers was one of those projects Portman is referencing.

Rose McGowan has not commented on Natalie Portman’s statement.



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Rose McGowan Opened Nicholas Kirwkood's Activism-Inspired Spring 2019 Fashion Show


Since the #MeToo movement received an increased spotlight in light of allegations against various powerful figures in Hollywood, various other industries have continued to reckon with how sexual harassment and assault is addressed within their communities. In fashion, it’s become an increasingly pressing topic of conversation and reform, with many using the global platform that is Fashion Week to bring attention to the issue. Nicholas Kirkwood is the latest designer to use the runway to make a statement, and he recruited Rose McGowan to get the message across.

Part fashion show, part theater production, Kirkwood’s Spring 2019 presentation was meant to touch on themes of resistance, dystopia, hacking, and cyber-reality, The Guardian reports. The British footwear designer met with McGowan, who has emerged as one of the leading voices of the #MeToo movement post-Harvey Weinstein, over the summer to collaborate on this project.

PHOTO: David M. Benett

This is Kirkwood’s first-ever London Fashion Week show, and McGowan’s first time on the runway. The designer teased his “Hacking and Activism” show—and McGowan appearance—on social media in the days leading up to it releasing a trailer meant to parody “fake news.”

Kirkwood’s Spring 2019 runway was set at the so-called Bureau of Conformity, per Footwear News, meant to represent a cyber-hacker’s headquarters. In the show notes, the designer explained: “This is a subculture whose environment remains relatively unexplored from a fashion standpoint, despite their current cultural influence and how much intrigue there is around them.”

Nicholas Kirkwood Catwalk - London Fashion Week September 2018

PHOTO: Ian West – PA Images

McGowan opened the show, and was followed by a mix of professional models (including Winnie Harlow) and real-life hackers, like the 18-year-old “white hat” CyFi.

Nicholas Kirkwood Catwalk - London Fashion Week September 2018

PHOTO: Ian West – PA Images

Backstage, McGowan reflected on how the #MeToo movement has evolved, and where it still needs to go. “We are a lot further along than where we were, but we are still on a razor’s edge,” McGowan told The Guardian. “We have to start a new conversation… To everyone else, it seemed like it happened so fast, but for me it’s been very slow. It’s been a long haul. I’m really gratified that people are questioning what is acceptable, but it’s been a hell of a year.”

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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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Rose McGowan Is Selling Her House to Pay for Her Fight Against Harvey Weinstein


Earlier this month, Rose McGowan attended the Television Critics Association’s press tour in Pasadena, California, where she told reporters that she was planning to sell her house in order to pay for the legal bills she’s accumulated from “fighting off the monsters.” On Friday, the actress and activist, who has publicly accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, listed her home near Nichols Canyon in the Hollywood Hills for $1.9 million.

McGowan has said she reached a $100,000 settlement in 1997 with Weinstein about the alleged rape—and was then promptly blacklisted from Hollywood. But the legal bills McGowan has referred more recently to aren’t due to a broken NDA from the settlement: “I never signed an NDA, actually,” McGowan said at the TCA. “That was a mistake the press made, and actually a mistake that I made for a long time. [I was misinformed] by a lawyer that I had signed one, when in fact it turned out I hadn’t. I thought I remember refusing that. I think NDAs, as we’re finding out, can be broken.”

“It’s really scary,” McGowan said in January about her (unspecified) legal battles. “I’m having to sell my house right now to pay legal bills fighting off the monsters.”

McGowan’s house, which she purchased in 2011 for $1.39 million, is being sold by Tracy Tutor Maltas from Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles.

The actress’ account of her experience with Weinstein and her work as an activist will appear in both her memoir, Brave, and her new E! docu-series Citizen Rose. The book will be available on January 30, the same day as the show’s premiere.

Related Stories:
–Rose McGowan Opens the Women’s Convention by Calling Out Sexual Harassment in Hollywood
–These Are the Women Who Have Accused Harvey Weinstein of Sexual Harassment or Assault
–Meryl Streep Is Trying to Fix Hollywood’s Sexism Problem





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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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Rose McGowan Will Star in a Five-Part Documentary Series on E!


Rose McGowan won’t be leaving her activism behind in 2017. Not only will she be publishing a memoir-slash-manifesto, BRAVE, in the coming months, but she’ll also document the process of releasing the book and her activist efforts in a documentary series on E!

The network announced on Tuesday that CITIZEN ROSE will air in five parts beginning later this month. “You are formally invited into my mind and world. I am thrilled to partner with E! to amplify my message of bravery, art, joy, and survival,” McGowan said in a statement released by E! “As I ready my book, BRAVE, I realized I wanted to show how we can heal through art even when being hounded by evil. I want to have a conversation with everyone, and most especially, you, about looking at things differently and seeing beauty everywhere. E!’s tremendous reach and impressive platform allow me to globally communicate the importance of living a BRAVE life.”

“Rose McGowan’s courage in addressing sexual abuse and harassment in Hollywood ignited a conversation and inspired other women to speak out against their abusers,” Amy Introcaso-Davis, E!’s executive VP of development and production, said in a statement. “We look forward to taking viewers inside this talented, dynamic woman’s world as the first allegations unfold and she becomes a leading voice in a critical cultural change.”

McGowan was among the group of women who first publicly accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct in The New York Times‘s early October bombshell report. After the story broke, she continued to tweet about the abuse and misconduct of powerful men in Hollywood. When her Twitter account was suspended after she criticized Ben Affleck’s response to the Weinstein allegations, millions of women stood alongside her by boycotting Twitter for a day. McGowan also had the honor of speaking at the Women’s Convention in late October in Detroit, during which she called women to action. “For all of us who have been grabbed by the motherf*cking pussy, no more. Name it. Shame it. Call it out. Join me. Join all of us as we amplify each other’s voices,” she said.

CITIZEN ROSE will start with a two-hour premiere on January 30 at 8 p.m. ET. The following four episodes will air throughout spring 2018.



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