Rose McGowan has zero chill, and that’s usually a good thing. We love hearing her tear Harvey Weinstein a new one.
Sometimes, however, that admirable passion gets a little misplaced. The result is Rose McGowan slamming Meryl Streep, of all people, basically accusing her of having been complicit in Weinstein’s monstrous deeds.
Meryl Streep is speaking out, saying that she’s very hurt by Rose’s words, and endeavoring to make things clear.
Rose McGowan was outspoken in accusing Harvey Weinstein of rape — and she’s certainly not alone.
Too many actresses have come forward, identifying Weinstein as their harasser or their rapist.
Salma Hayek spoke of Weinstein as a “monster,” and says that she wonders if it was only her friendships with other influential members of Hollywood that prevented Weinstein from raping her.
Some times, a person escapes from a sexual predator because they have the right friends. Others just get lucky.
And others … unlucky.
Rose McGowan has spoken loud and clear against Weinstein. Unfortunately, some of her ire was misdirected at her fellow actresses.
“Actresses, like Meryl Streep, who happily worked for The Pig Monster, are wearing black @GoldenGlobes in a silent protest.”
We would counter that, surely, they did not know. A lot of people have no idea that there’s a monster in their midst.
“YOUR SILENCE is THE problem. You’ll accept a fake award breathlessly & affect no real change.”
All awards are fake, really.
“I despise your hypocrisy. Maybe you should all wear Marchesa.”
Marchesa, of course, is the clothing line by Weinstein’s wife. While many feel sorry for the woman who most assume never knew of her husband’s monstrous deeds, Rose McGowan has been less sympathetic.
Rose has since deleted the tweet.
Meryl Streep addressed Rose McGowan’s criticisms in a lengthy letter, published in The Huffington Post.
“It hurt to be attacked by Rose McGowan in banner headlines this weekend, but I want to let her know I did not know about Weinstein’s crimes, not in the ’90s when he attacked her, or through subsequent decades when he proceeded to attack others.”
That’s what we figured.
“I wasn’t deliberately silent. I didn’t know. I don’t tacitly approve of rape. I didn’t know. I don’t like young women being assaulted. I didn’t know this was happening.”
Sexual predators go to great lengths to cover up their crimes.
Meryl then goes on to explain how little contact she’s had with Weinstein.
“I don’t know where Harvey lives, nor has he ever been to my home.”
That’s good for her.
“I have never in my life been invited to his hotel room.”
For many actors, exchanging scripts and even auditioning in hotel rooms isn’t uncommon. Some wonder if, in light of these uncovered abuses, that should now change.
“I have been to his office once, for a meeting with Wes Craven for ‘Mustic of the Heart’ in 1998.”
That’s … nearly 20 years ago.
“HW distributed movies I made with other people.”
“HW was not a filmmaker; he was often a producer, primarily a marketer of films made by other people — some of them great, some not great.”
Weinstein did sometimes assume a hand-on role in films, but that makes him a demanding producer, not a filmmaker.
“But not every actor, actress, and director who made films that HW distributed knew he abused women, or that he raped Rose in the 90s, other women before and others after, until they told us. We did not know that women’s silence was purchased by him and his enablers.”
Sometimes, survivors are shocked to learn that other people didn’t know what happened to them. When something consumes your life, it’s hard to imagine that others could be so blind.
“HW needed us not to know this, because our association with him bought him credibility, an ability to lure young, aspiring women into circumstances where they would be hurt.”
Yes, predators have a vested interest in appearing innocent and personable.
“He needed me much more than I needed him and he made sure I didn’t know. Apparently he hired ex Mossad operators to protect this information from becoming public.”
We’ve heard about that.
“Rose and the scores of other victims of these powerful, moneyed, ruthless men face an adversary for whom Winning, at any and all costs, is the only acceptable outcome.”
Meryl then talks specifically about what people are doing to protect survivors from the wrath of the men who want them silenced.
“That’s why a legal defense fund for victims is currently being assembled to which hundreds of good hearted people in our business will contribute, to bring down the bastards, and help victims fight this scourge within.”
“Rose assumed and broadcast something untrue about me, and I wanted to let her know the truth.”
It’s clear that Meryl is speaking with compassion, here.
“Through friends who know her, I got my home phone number to her the minute I read the headlines.”
That was a good move to make.
“I sat by that phone all day yesterday and this morning, hoping to express both my deep respect for her and others’ bravery in exposing the monsters among us, and my sympathy for the untold, ongoing pain she suffers.”
Perhaps Rose McGowan was following Uma Thurman’s advice about waiting until she calms down before speaking up.
“No one can bring back what entitled bosses like Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes, and HW took from the women who endured attacks on their bodies and their ability to make a living.”
Sad but true.
“And I hoped that she would give me a hearing. She did not, but I hope she reads this.”
Meryl’s statement continues:
“I am truly sorry she sees me as an adversary, because we are both, together with all the women in our business, standing in defiance of the same implacable foe: a status quo that wants so badly to return to the bad old days, the old ways where women were used, abused and refused entry into the decision-making, top levels of the industry.”
And that, she says, is where the real problem lies.
“That’s where the cover-ups convene. Those rooms must be disinfected, and integrated, before anything even begins to change.”
Change can be a lengthy process, but it’s better to take your time than to rush and let horrible people slip through the cracks.
