Rose McGowan And The Harvey Weinstein PR Crisis
The news of Harvey Weinstein’s meteoric fall from grace landed on the society and entertainment pages like a nuclear blast. For many in the industry, though, it appears the news wasn’t really news at all. Now, a lot of stars are coming out and saying they knew something was up with the uber-producer all along.
And at least one star is saying it got a lot worse than “inappropriate behavior.” “HW raped me.” Rose McGowan posted on social media, just one of a barrage of angry posts McGowan unleashed related to Weinstein.Weinstein’s Public Relations rep, Sallie Hofmeister, immediately countered, telling the media that “any allegations of non-consensual contact are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein.” McGowan’s statement follows up on a statement she made last year in which she claimed to have been raped by a “studio head.” That allegation was followed this year by The New Yorker article that dropped the bombshell that Weinstein sexually assaulted three women.A follow-up article by The New York Times reported that Weinstein paid a settlement of $100,000 to McGowan after what was described as “an episode at a hotel room” that happened during the Sundance Film Festival back in 1997. According to the Times, the settlement was supposed to buy McGowan’s silence, but, apparently, she feels the time to be quiet is over. She initially aimed her social media rage at Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, tweeting out: “I told the head of your studio that HW raped me… Over and over I said it…”The accusations, as well as the credible backstory, shines a new light on McGowan. The actress, known mainly for playing in a series of quirky, cult classic horror flicks like Jawbreaker, The Doom Generation, Death Proof, and Machete, made a name for herself on the TV series, Charmed.While her career never earned her A-list status among Hollywood’s best and brightest, it did bring her a steadily-growing cadre of loyal fans. McGowan has worked steadily, doing film and voice work. This move, coming out as one of the main accusers of one of Hollywood’s most powerful players, is fast making McGowan both a hero of up and coming actresses and feminists from coast to coast. They know this could cost her, but she will not back down.The last chapter of this unfolding saga is nowhere near ready to be written, so a lot could happen in the near future. Whatever does, McGowan will remain one of the central players pointing the finger of history at Harvey Weinstein. 
About the Author: Rhonda Adams is a NYC based entrepreneur.
