In a statement to the Huffington Post, the actress denied knowing about Weinstein’s crimes
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Rose McGowan has been perhaps one of his most outspoken victims, leading the charge to take him down. Unsurprisingly, her passion, honesty, and the personal nature of the issue at hand mean that she sometimes rubs people up the wrong way or doesn’t get things quite right.
In an unexpected development in a Twitter spat between McGowan and Meryl Streep, Streep has responded to McGowan’s criticisms in a lengthy statement. Streep defended herself after McGowan wrote that her rumoured plan to wear black in a silent protest at the Golden Globes was hypocritical. She told Streep: “YOUR SILENCE is THE problem”.
In a statement to the Huffington Post last night, Streep said: “I wasn’t deliberately silent. I didn’t know. I don’t tacitly approve of rape.” She suggested that Weinstein, whom she frequently collaborated with, went to great lengths to keep her and other established actors in the dark about his behaviour because “our association with him bought him credibility, an ability to lure young, aspiring women into circumstances where they would be hurt.” Streep rounded off by saying: “Rose assumed and broadcast something untrue about me, and I wanted to let her know the truth. I am truly sorry she sees me as an adversary.”
McGowan meanwhile has apologised for telling the protesting actresses that they might as well just wear Marchesa, the label for Weinstein’s ex-wife Georgina Chapman. She tweeted: “The Marchesa line was beneath me and I’m sorry for that. There is no map for this road I’m on, I will fuck up. Peace be with you, go with Goddess.” She also hit back at a tweet by Vogue Australia saying that McGowan accused Streep of knowing about Weinstein’s crimes. She said: “F off @vogueAustralia I did not accuse her of that. Step back.”