Following The New York Times report on Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual harassment and threatening behavior, actress Rose McGowan has called for the entirety of The Weinstein Company’s board to resign for their continued inaction in curbing the founder’s predatory behavior. McGowan was named by The New York Times as one of the women who had reached a financial settlement with the company following her treatment.
On Sunday, Harvey Weinstein was fired from the film production company he helped start in the wake of the Times piece, and only four members of the all-male board remain, following the subsequent resignation of other members. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, McGowan spoke broadly regarding the culture and lack of accountability she has experienced in the industry.
She said:
“Men in Hollywood need to change ASAP. Hollywood’s power is dying because society has changed and grown, and yet Hollywood male behavior has not. It is so not a good look. In the way cooler than Hollywood world I live and work in, I am actually embarrassed to be associated with it.”
The “Scream” and “Jawbreaker” actress doubled down (and then some) on the sentiments she expressed in the interview, tweeting out her plea repeatedly and later urging others to sign a petition for the resignation of the board.
Subsequent tweets, of which there have been many from McGowan’s account, praise the journalists responsible for this reporting and also offer support for the women brave enough to stand and tell their story.
In McGowan’s emboldened statements, she is also targeting the celebrities who she feels may be feigning disgust or outrage over the incident, having known about Weinstein’s behavior for years, if not decades. Hollywood star and frequent Weinstein collaborator Ben Affleck posted a statement on Twitter, which was met with incredulity and outrage by McGowan, who cites an experience with the actor that strongly suggests he was both aware and angered by Weinstein’s actions previously.
As with many of the other victims who have reached financial and legal settlements with Weinstein, it’s unclear where the bounds of their NDA and gag order stop. As such, it’s difficult to ascertain if McGowan is continuing to abide by them as she serves to rally the public in support of the many victims of not just Harvey Weinstein, but the industry itself.
Regardless of the covenants surrounding her settlement, it’s clear that McGowan isn’t going to back down from this fight, having stayed silent for so long while others looked on knowingly and did nothing.
