Movies & TV / News

Harvey Weinstein Claims Sex With Rose McGowan Was Consensual, McGowan Responds

February 1, 2018 | Posted by Joseph Lee
Rose McGowan

Entertainment Weekly reports that Harvey Weinstein has denied Rose McGowan’s claims that he raped her in a hot tub in 1997, claiming the sex was consensual. He released a statement yesterday through his attorney which offers Weinstein’s side of the story. He claimed he had an email from her former manager which said that she said later that it was “consensual” but she “regretted having done” it. He also claimed he had an email from Ben Affleck saying that she never told him she was assaulted. This falls in line with Weinstein’s other denials from actresses who accused him of sexual misconduct.

McGowan has responded to the claims, first with an emotionally-charged post on Twitter.

She then released a new statement through a representative. She said: “Yesterday’s statement from Mr. Weinstein and his attorney Ben Brafman unequivocally proves a continued attempt to malign, smear, and ‘slut shame’ Rose McGowan. It is an affront not only to Rose, but to the hundreds of women who have come forward with their stories of harassment, sexual abuse, and rape perpetrated by Mr. Weinstein and those like him. This is a sad, pathetic old-fashioned sexist attempt to undermine obvious truth, and the gaslighting will no longer be tolerated. … Mr. Weinstein’s attempts to discredit Rose is part of his 20-year-long campaign to silence her, clearly proving he IS the monster so many women have described him to be. [McGowan], so many other #MeToo’s, will continue to push back at ingrained thought and a corrupt power structure. She will not be commenting further. The truth can be found in her work: BRAVE the book, it can be found in the rawness of Citizen Rose and in the music, lyrics and emotion of Planet 9. It is time true voices were heard and it is time for the lies to stop.