With the issue of sexual assault unfortunately making headlines on a near-daily basis, due to the candidacy of Donald Trump, Rose McGowan has come out with a series of shocking Tweets.
In these messages, the actress says she was once raped by a major Hollywood executive.
In a series of strongly worded posts on Thursday, McGowan called out the film industry for failing to support her after she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed studio head.
Using hashtag #WhyWomenDontReport, McGowan wrote the following:
“A (female) criminal attorney said because I’d done a sex scene in a film I would never win against the studio head.”
McGowan went on to say that this shouldn’t come as news to many big-time players in the movie world.
“Because it’s been an open secret in Hollywood/media & they shamed me while adulating my rapist.”
She added: “Because my ex sold our movie to my rapist for distribution.”
Clearly (and rightfully, assuming her story is true) irritated, McGowan concluded:
“It is time for some goddamned honesty in this world.”
This subject is being raised around the country right now because Donald Trump has been accused of sexual abuse and/or sexual assault by many women.
On the campaign trail, one of the ways in which the Republican nominees has tried to shoot down these allegations is by wondering what took the accusers so long to come out.
We’ll leave it up to voters decide if they believe Trump is a decent person who would never grope a woman against her will.
But it is ignorant and dangerous to suggest that a woman who waits weeks, months or even years to make an accusation is therefore lying.
Go ahead and ask McGowan. Go ahead and ask many, many other females.
There are endless challenges and obstacles (to one’s career, to one’s profession) for women who make these kinds of allegations against rich and powerful men.
Those who are in the process of doing so against Trump are finding this out for themselves at the moment.
McGowan, meanwhile, has often been outspoken on issues of sexual assault.
She recently compared her experience walking the red carpet at Hollywood events as “visual rape.”
Is that an extreme way to look at it? Maybe. But what do we know?
Unlike McGowan, we’ve never walked a red carpet.
And also unlike McGowan, we’ve never been the victim of sexual assault. We’re not about to judge anything she says or does in regard to this topic.
Are you?