One of the most prominent victims’ names at the center of the Harvey Weinstein scandal has been Rose McGowan. Last year she revealed that she’d been raped by a studio head. While many of us suspected Weinstein, we didn’t know for sure. Now we know because Rose named names, not only of Weinstein but of those complicit with this awfulness. Unfortunately, that kind of effort comes at a cost. 24 hours before she was scheduled to appear to receive an honor at the Tallgrass Film Festival, Rose issued a statement that she would be canceling “all upcoming public appearances,” stating that is was specifically due to the Weinstein case.
Late Wednesday night, less than 24 hours before McGowan was scheduled to receive the Ad Astra Award at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, organizers announced she had rescinded their invitation. In a statement, the organizers said the 44-year-old actress-turned director informed them she has canceled “all upcoming public appearances due to compounding factors surrounding recent revelations in the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment case.” In addition to being honored, she had also been expected to host a screening of her directorial debut, Dawn.
“While we’re disappointed that Rose cannot be here with us in person, we understand that her well being is the priority. We support her and our thoughts are with her,” Tallgrass Creative Director Lela Meadow-Conner said in a statement. “We’ll seize this opportunity to amplify her message and celebrate all the women filmmakers with works here at the 15th annual festival.”
Meadow-Conner added, “The whole world is now aware, in large part due to Rose’s efforts, about the rampant sexual harassment within the entertainment industry, and so in her honor, we have pulled together a panel of women filmmakers who will be attending the festival with their films, for a frank conversation, because the message doesn’t stop here.” Amy Nicholson and John Wildman will host the panel, “#WokeWomen: A Candid Conversation with Tallgrass’ Female Filmmakers,” featuring Dorie Barton, Skye Borgman, Madeleine Cooke, Simoné Nortmann, Deborah Pearl, Devin Sanchez and Deborah Riley Williams. It will begin at 9 p.m.
In a statement released via Facebook and Twitter, Tallgrass Program Director Nick Pope commended McGowan. “Tallgrass has sought to honor Rose McGowan for three years now as we have always felt she epitomizes our motto: Stubbornly independent,” he said. “We also felt that, in the process of the deserved attention her activism receives, arguably her presence as an independent film icon and genuine filmmaking talent can get lost in the mix. It was our goal to shine a light on her career and her talent and put that part of the Rose McGowan equation front and center for a very special evening. We will still honor her achievements from afar.”
The fact that that statement specifies “compounding factors” on the Weinstein “sexual harassment case” makes me think that the cancellations might be on the advice of counsel. Rose has also made some glaring and offensive mistakes in her tweets about this issue. As so many have mentioned, there is no perfect victim and she must be going through so much. We can recognize Rose’s missteps while applauding her bravery at speaking out. It’s sad, though. She’s been working to release Dawn out for a few years. I’m sorry she didn’t get a chance to show it personally. I also love the response by the festival. The have an understanding of what she’s dealing with and are working to promote her cause and her career, which has been forever changed by the fact that she fought back against a monster.
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I hope she has a great therapist. I think she needs to take sometime and close that chapter of her life. She has been so angry for so long it has changed her.
I wish her happiness and the best.
What a strange response.
I think these past few weeks have probably reopened a lot of old wounds for her, and some of those wounds were probably only partly healed at best. I don’t blame her or judge her for needing some time right now.
Yet… i wish she had the strenth to be everywhere. So that every man who ever judged her or any other woman can feel humilitated.
Of course, she knows what is best for her and i do think she is strong and she will be able to overcome the horror once again.
Sexual assault does change you and not for the better. It leaves you angry, bitter and can swallow you up inside. Rose chose to fight back & her monster was a powerful man in the industry. He continued to assault women while silencing her. Now that he has been brought down & the company next, she’s probably not sure where to direct her energy. That can happen. She’s been after Weinstein for 20 years.
Yeah, I can’t begin to imagine all the complex feelings that would come along with seeing your rapist brought down finally. I would guess a LOT of anger and grief, because who wants to spend 20 years fighting for justice like she has? I imagine that in a way she would be mourning the life she didn’t get to lead — not just in terms of her career, but in her private life as well.
She might also be dealing with other people’s expectations that she now feel happy and vindicated, when she might be feeling anything but happy at the moment. Of course, I have no idea how she is really feeling, I guess I’m just saying that this must be an overwhelming experience for her.
I mean, I have grown up with a world of shit; being raped as a child, molested as a teen, ‘normal’ sexual harassment and uncomfortable situations- some of which I put myself in before I was the woman I am now.
None of those things involved Harvey and this past week has been HELL on me emotionally. I feel compelled to give respect to every woman that has a story to tell and to ‘show’ that respect by reading her words that she is brave enough to tell now.
I imagine that Rose, who’s situation DID involve Harvey, has been on a completely insane roller coaster of emotions this week. ALL RESPECT FOR THIS GIRL. She, like ALL of us, was not a ‘perfect’ victim, I certainly do not think we need to hold her to the standard of ‘perfect’ survivor/whistleblower either.
@the_blonde_one I fell you. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I am also in the same boat. I have no experience of Hollywood, but I was also molested, abused and raped starting from when I was a child.
This Weinstein scandal has left me emotionally exhausting. while I moved on from my awful abuse and I have experienced what Rose McGowan has experienced – going through exposing your abuser, this shit is hard and can take a toll on you.
It’s totally understandable that she now wants to take time for herself to process everything that’s going on.
All respect to her honestly.
@DeniseMich: ITA with you and don’t think this is a strange response at all. I think it is a compassionate one.
I can’t so much with her after the whole n***er thing. I admire what she has done but that took it too far.
Also recently working with/supporting a paedophile is pretty terrible.
That doesn’t make what happened to her less terrible, no victim is a “perfect” victim nor should they be, etc., but she certainly hasn’t apologised for supporting a child rapist.
I must have missed that. What happened?
That was disgusting and the fact that she only deleted the tweet after WHITE women told her while ignoring black women. Peak white feminism. Not a good look.
And it annoyed me that her first post on the topic after the backlash was to joke about tweeting while high. So she was upset about Corden joking about sexual assault, but she can joke about minimizing the experience of black people.
yep. its why i’ll never support the “white feminist” movements and rallying points. Had the women coming forward been black you think people would care? nope
THANK YOU Tila. This is not the oppression olympics, but statistically Black women are sexually assaulted at higher rates than other women, and she wanted to pull that mess??? F’ that. And while she doesn’t need to be the perfect victim for the violence done to her to be recognized, that also doesn’t mean that she deserves or gets to have her wrongdoings overlooked. She did work with a convicted pedophile and so cavalierly invoking racism to make a point about sexual assault is both a form of erasure and violence.
Also, when she replied to Ellen Degeneres’ tweet supporting gay and trans ladies by saying Ellen should focus on women. Because lesbians and trans aren’t women?
@Alleycat- I was coming to comment about this! The Ellen Degeneres response was so problematic… I think I actually said “What the f*@k” out loud when I read it.
Heroine. That is all <3
I think she just wants Justice once and for all. She was silenced by that sick bastard & much of the industry for a long time. She must be going through so different emotions right now? Maybe it’s best she just looks after herself & her wellbeing at this trying time. Wish her all the best & truly hope she will be able to move on in a healthy way. If that’s at all possible?
She stated in an interview that she did not sign an NDA regarding her settlement..
(edit..this ended up under the wrong post)
I can’t imagine how it must feel for her, after so, so many years. She’s making mistakes, and doing thing that harm others right now. It’s good she takes a step back.
I don’t know how she had the energy for it. I’m so tired, already.
She has a new short film too about a woman in Arkansas who helped people with AIDS in the 80s. I can’t wait to see it.
The Tallgrass Festival really deserves kudos for their response. Good for them for continuing to use this opportunity to shine a spotlight on women.
She’s done alot of good work for herself spiritually and for her community. I’m really glad she’s finally being rewarded by being heard. Brave women need tlc too.
This poor woman. For the first time in 2 decades she FINALLY is speaking publicly, and it’s like 2 decades of rage and hurt are coming out. She matters. Her pain matters. I hope that she can get the support that she needs.
Did she ever tell what exactly happened? Did i miss that or is there an op-ed somewhere?
Let’s be real about Rose. She’s acting completely unhinged. I understand she’s traumatized by what happened to her but ranting and raving like a lunatic, swearing, calling people the c word and name calling, the N word situation is NOT making anyone listen to her. It’s making her look crazed. She needs to step back and see a therapist to deal with the obvious instability. Her voice IS important and her pain is real but it’s important to spread the message in a way that gets people to LISTEN to you and not see you as crazed.
Until she address her very disturbing comments calling Salva a “kind and gentle man”, I cannot give her any kudos at all.
Not for us, not for her sake, but for the victims whose pain she dismissed by not only working with a convicted pedophile, but calling him kind, gentle, hard worker, good to his crew.
I don’t want or need her to explain to ME. She has to apologize to his victims, for dismissing their pain and suffering. Exacly like anyone who defends HW has to. Exactly like anyone who defends or works with Polanski. Or Allen.
She is no different just because she spoke about her pain and suffering now. She knew who and what Salva was, and said it was none of her business. That’s being complicit on such a level, it’s breathtaking. Child abuse is everyone’s business. She dismissed them.
^this. Everyday.