In Rose McGowan’s new memoir “Brave,” as well as in the first installment of her docu-series “Citizen Rose,” both released Jan. 30, the actress doesn’t refer to Harvey Weinstein by his name. Instead, she calls him “Monster.”
McGowan also writes in “Brave” that she told Ben Affleck about the alleged 1997 assault at the Sundance Film Festival, which she describes in graphic detail for the first time: In Weinstein’s hotel suite, he forced her into a hot tub and, against her will, performed oral sex on her.
After it was over, McGowan said she attended a photo-op with Affleck, her co-star in the movie “Phantoms,” where she disclosed what had happened.
“Goddamn it. I told him to stop doing that,” she alleges he said (which she also tweeted about back in October).
@benaffleck “GODDAMNIT! I TOLD HIM TO STOP DOING THAT” you said that to my face. The press conf I was made to go to after assault. You lie.
— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 10, 2017
In a statement to USA TODAY, Weinstein’s attorney, Ben Brafman, said the ex-media mogul has emails from Affleck and Jill Messick, McGowan’s former manager, to prove that the accusations made were false.
Brafman said in the statement:
“As a general matter, Harvey Weinstein and his attorneys have refrained from publicly criticizing any of the women who have made allegations of sexual assault against Mr. Weinstein despite a wealth of evidence that would demonstrate the patent falsity of these claims.
“Watching the ‘performance’ by Rose McGowan as she looks to promote her new book however, has made it impossible to remain quiet as she tries to smear Mr. Weinstein with a bold lie that is denied not only by Mr. Weinstein himself, but by at least two witnesses.”
Here’s where the emails come in.
In an alleged exchange reportedly dated July 26, 2017 (months before stories broke exposing a landslide of accusations against Weinstein, including McGowan’s) Affleck said he had no knowledge of the sexual assault, despite the actress’ claims that he did. “She never told me nor did I ever infer that she was attacked by anyone,” Affleck allegedly wrote to Weinstein. “Any accounts to the contrary are false. I have no knowledge about anything Rose did or claimed to have done.”
In another email Weinstein’s attorney offered as evidence, Messick allegedly wrote that McGowan told her it was a “consensual” act: “When we met up the following day, she hesitantly told me of her own accord that during the meeting that night before she had gotten into a hot tub with Mr. Weinstein. She was very clear about the fact that getting into that hot tub was something that she did consensually and that in hindsight it was also something that she regretted having done.”
Affleck told TODAY back in October, “I knew [Weinstein] was sleazy and kind of a bully, but unfortunately that wasn’t that uncommon. I was brand new to Hollywood … I was 24 years old, I never made a movie and didn’t know much of anything really. It really is a shame…”
When asked to elaborate on whether or not McGowan told him about the assault like she’d alleged, he said, “I don’t really want to get into other people’s individual stories because I feel like those are your stories, and they’re entitled to tell as much or as little of those as they want. I believe Rose, I support her, I really like and admire her tenacidy, and I wish her the best.”
In a Facebook statement Affleck wrote, “I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades.”
McGowan, at the time, tweeted at Affleck to “f*ck off.”
Ben Affleck fuck off
— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 10, 2017
Her response now?
Fuck you you fucking douche bag loser from hell. You will burn. You will be an empty suit coffin. You go fall off the planet you fuck. #RoseArmy BREATHE FIRE let motherfucker but https://t.co/tJq4M5lwiH
— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) January 31, 2018
A spokesman for the actress told Deadline there would be no further comment.
Oh, but there’s this: McGowan calling out Weinstein. Saying his name.
to step on your fat neck for all time #HarveyWeinstein. I WILL SAY YOUR NAME. It is you whi did this to us. THIEF! And to all of you scoundrels aiding predators you are damned for the hurt you’ve caused. We reject your social lies. Name it. Shame it. Call it out. #CitizenRose
— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) January 31, 2018
