Rose McGowan was indicted by a grand jury in Virginia on Monday. The indictment is for “possession of a controlled substance,” in a case that is extremely bizarre even by celebrity standards. The possession in this case was “traces” of cocaine, apparently found in Rose’s wallet… a wallet which she lost hours beforehand. When her wallet was found, it was tested for drugs and magically they found traces of cocaine, and that’s when they charged her with possession. Isn’t that a bizarre story? That went down last year, and I had been thinking that eventually the charges would be dropped. That didn’t happen.
Rose McGowan is facing more legal troubles after her arrest in November. The actress was indicted by a grand jury on Monday for possession of a controlled substance, according to online court records in Loudoun County, Virginia. McGowan’s attorney, Jose Baez tells PEOPLE, “Rose steadfastly maintains her innocence. These charges would have never been brought if it weren’t for her activism as a voice for women everywhere. I assure you. This selective prosecution will be met with a strong defense.”
The former Charmed actress was arrested in November in relation to a warrant for felony possession of a controlled substance involving cocaine. McGowan turned herself into the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office at the time, where she was arrested and booked before being released on a $5,000 bail. The maximum sentence for the charge is 10 years in prison, according to WTOP.
I think Rose tends towards paranoia in general, but this is one of those situations where I’m right there with her, suspicious as hell about why this case is going forward. She had been flying to DC for the Women’s March, and as Rose told Ronan Farrow, “Imagining I’m going into sisterly solidarity, I can think of nothing more opposed to that, energetically, that I would want in my body at that moment.” She believes the “traces” of cocaine were planted in her wallet.
Meanwhile, Rose flew out to help Asia Argento in the wake of Anthony Bourdain’s death by suicide. Asia hasn’t issued any statements directly, but Rose has been issuing statements on her behalf. It was Rose who described Asia and Bourdain’s love story as a “free relationship,” and they “loved without borders of traditional relationships, and they established the parameters of their relationship early on. Asia is a free bird, and so was Anthony.” Rose has asked people not to blame Asia for Bourdain’s suicide. Which I think is fair enough – of course it’s not Asia’s “fault.” It’s depression’s fault. It’s the fault of bad brain chemistry and sadness.
Peace be with you .@AsiaArgento pic.twitter.com/0Thz7xTi8W
— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) June 11, 2018
Photos courtesy of WENN.
This charge is total BS. Also total BS, talking about Asia Argento’s relationship with Anthony Bourdain so publicly. I realize they’re friends, but she is making this about herself somehow. It feels really gross.
How is it BS?
Making someone’s relationship with a man who just killed himself all about you and your friendship with the girlfriend. And that letter!!?? He’s been dead less than a week.
Keep in mind, this is the same woman who wants full credit for #MeToo. While I feel for her, she’s got some serious issues.
I thought I was the only one getting that all about rose vibe here.
She said that Asia asked her to make the statement.
She has a way of making things all about her. I’m hoping that she is getting therapy.
Couldn’t agree with you more, Ninja_Girl. MTE!
Her doing the letter on Asia’s behalf seems okay to me. Her friend is being attacked and she seemed sincere in wanting to help. What grossed me out was her initial Insta post. THAT made it all about her.
It is grossly inappropriate. However, I’ve heard rumors about Rose and Anthony having an affair so maybe she was trying to get out from under any accusation before it happens?
I don’t know- I’m speculating and I’m still sad. He was amazing.
Did you read the full article? Asia herself said she’s asked Rose to help her write a statement to defend herself, begging for mercy because people have been undeservedly blaming her for this horrible tragedy.
Weinstein revenge?
There’s nothing bizarre about this story. Happens all the time. Now there may be a half way decent defense for her if she wants to go to trial.
I am more troubled that Virginia still classifies simple possession of a small amount of cocaine as a felony. Class 5 felony, but felony all the same.
So she lost her wallet, and it was found later with coke in it? My extensive legal training from Law & Order University says that’s circumstantial evidence.
Most evidence is circumstantial.
This ish has reasonable doubt written aaaaaall over it…
I also went to Law and Order University!!! LOL. If the wallet was out of her possession, anyone could have put the coke in there.
Not to mention that if she’d been carrying cash, who knows where that had been or what it had been used for previously.
Signed,
A proud SVU allumni
I don’t know all of the facts but if Rose wasn’t in possession of the wallet, I don’t see how she could be charged. It’s easy to argue that it was tempered with.
I agree that Rose always comes off as me, me, me. She definitely has issues and needs help.
Rowan Farrow said during a Fresh Air interview that he was threatened for his reporting against rapist Weinstein, but wanted to save the details for his next book.
The drug charges and circumstances are strange given the horrible situation Rose is in and how she has spoken out.
I think that while it’s misguided and unfair to blame Asia for what happened to Bourdain,
but Rose McGowan’s full letter and Asia giving her blessing to write it are in poor taste-Bourdain only dated Asia like a year and Rose’s letter is full of misinformation and very all about Asia. All the sympathy should go to his estranged wife, who is in charge of the funeral arrangements, his mother, and child. Asia should keep her head down and wait to discuss this for a little bit. She was doing some shady social media stuff, like deleting pictures, and they unfollowed each other on IG right before his death. This is not the time to do some transparent PR moves. It sucks people blame her but she needs to just ignore it for the time being.
I didn’t realize about the Instagram drama. Seems small and petty, but somehow that speaks volumes to me about what might have been going on? It’s hard to discuss this without sounding like I’m blaming her–certainly not my intention. But people react to painful events and the people surrounding them, and I’m wondering if he just couldn’t cope with whatever issues they might have been having, on top of his history of depression, addiction, and suicidal ideation.
I don’t think it’s small and petty. I never blame the woman, that is not me. Something happened here. Those pictures of her with that other guy surfaced, Bourdain went social media silent, he never made another post. Then Asia posted something very weird, an eff all of you post. I believe this was hours before he killed himself. Then she deleted it. In the meantime, he unfollowed her on IG.
Given all of this, I cringed when I read the letter they released yesterday. I don’t think it was right for her to come out and say they had an open relationship. We don’t really know that. Only two people do and one is dead. And making it about Rose, I just cringed. That is all I can say.
Let’s not forget he was still technically married to another woman. I have no problem believing they never committed to an exclusive relationship. But even if she did something hurtful and insensitive toward him, that does not mean she is in any way responsible for his decision to end his life.
Rose McGowan’s note is also full of misinformation. His long-distance girlfriend and Rose McGowan know about his reaching out to a doctor for help, but not any of his best friends, his ex, or his mother? His family noted that yeah, he’s had some stuff happen, but they are very shocked. Whatever investigation they would have-pretty much f’d by French police who closed the case immediately and won’t give back the body for ‘protocol’ reasons.
They unfollowed each other on IG in the day before his death and then after his death, suddenly she was following him again.
I’m not blaming her-I’m not. You should be able to fight with your boyfriend or break up with someone or whatever without having to worry about them killing themselves. BUT her brain is in damage control mode and it’s not working. She knew she would be blamed or attacked so she’s pulling all these moves and it’s making it worse for her and for his family.
Yes, you have to be able to break up with someone or whatever happened here, and not have them commit suicide. I agree.
the letter is another issue. The most distasteful part of which was Rose prouncing that Bourdain had seen a doctor and refused to follow his recommendations, but Asia has followed hers because she wants to stay alive for her children. My gawd. My gawd. His daughter is reading this.
Spot on.
“All the sympathy should go to his estranged wife, who is in charge of the funeral arrangements, his mother, and child?”
Wow, I don’t think this is meant to be malicious, but it is deeply unfeeling and tone deaf.
1) She is the most visible one in his life. People are already making it all about her. A decent number of people only know of him because of her.
2) How is a serious significant other less important than an ex spouse? Partners and family are all very important. For many people, their partner is the most important person in their world.
Her partner just killed himself, and people are blaming HER. That is absolutely horrendous. And especially if they did have a fight right beforehand (which still in NO WAY makes it her fault), she probably already has feelings of self blame, and to then have the world level them at you is unthinkably painful and probably makes a part of her believe it. In a way, it’s similar to what she has already gone through with the Weinstein stuff- victims feel shame, and then the world reinforces that, and that can be incredibly traumatizing.
I agree, hmm. I am so disturbed by the social media attacks she’s experiencing, which are vicious, scary, and unbelievably sexist in nature.
1) She was the most visible because of PRESS around Weinstein. They dated only for about a year, at most a year and a half. And he never did divorce his wife-they never filed. But people only knowing about him because of her? That is 100% untrue-he was for sure A-List- a famous chef, had three travel shows, had lunch with Obama, numerous hit books. I never heard of Asia Argento until Weinstein. I’m not diminishing her career but He is was definitely the more famous one.
2) His estranged spouse and mother of his child. They only dated for about a year, a little more. His wife is listed as next of kin and is in charge of the burial right now.
People shouldn’t blame her, I agree, but her PR plays right now come of as narcissistic and are not smart in general-she should chill because she is not disassociating herself, she is making it worse.
The idea that she is more famous than Bourdain was is ludicrous.
do you really think it was okay to state-in PUBLIC, that he didn’t follow doctor’s reccomendations, but Asia did bc she wanted to stay here for her children. now, no one else-of his family or friends knew about this allleged visit. BOurdain has a daughter. she will read that statement sooner or later.
do you think that was okay? respectful towards his child?
blaming her for his suicide is one thing: I don’t care what she did, he is responsible for his decision.
but to behave like this after the man hasn’t even been buried yet? inserting rose mcgowan (what kind of provable connection did she have with Bourdain?how well did she know him?), stating things which will hurt his child….it’s just, it’s exploiting a dead man who can’t answer any of this claims.
just….no. sorry, but no.
I feel bad for Asia and I hate to see her get blame. Even if the break up led to his suicide, it’s not her fault in any way, no one needs to bear that burden after a break up.
However his estranged wife and child as well as his other family are grieving too. They likely won’t get the blame that Asia is getting, so it is different, but she needs too keep them in mind when releasing statements through Rose. Also they were only together for like 18 months.
And to say Bourdain was known through Asia is completely laughable. I’ve known who the man was for like 18 years, since Kitchen Confidential.
I think that there is some shadiness going on there. No one should ever feel guilty that their ex died by suicide after a break up, but of course most people will. I can also understand her damage control mode. What I do not understand is Rose inserting herself. They also need to remember that Bourdain has other family who will see these things, his daughter especially.
I also saw a celeb refer to Asia as Anthony’s “great love” or the “love of his life” something like that. I kind of found that a bit odd. I’m sure he loved her but they were together for like 18 months or so. Not saying you can’t love someone in that amount of time, it was just worded oddly.
Again I understand Asia wanting to protect herself and her image, but inserting Rose may not be the best game plan.
This reminds me very much of what happened with my husband’s father. He took his own life following a bitter argument where my MIL threatened to take my husband and his sister back to Norway after finding out about an affair he was having. Now, he had previous attempts, and they were certainly not on good terms, but my husband later told me the other woman reached out to him to talk about how heartbroken she was and how his father was the love of her life. All I can think about with this is how my husband told me he felt – angry, enraged…we can’t know what happened with Bourdain’s wife and how he was with Asia…but we do know there was a history with this wife and with his daughter. It’s me projecting, but I can’t help but think what his wife is going through, what his daughter is going through. Here I am reading an article about Asia Argento and I can’t even tell you what Bourdain’s wife’s name is. I don’t want to imply grief has a hierarchy, but I do wish Asia would have given a friend her phone to post one single statement and disappeared for a while. I’m sure she’s heartbroken, but I can only imagine what his wife and daughter saw him through, and that this controversy with Asia and Rose is a stress no one needs. Especially that little girl.
“A voice for women everywhere?” Hardly.
I feel bad for Rose. She was the victim of a heinous crime and horrific public slander campaign. I don’t know how anyone could mentally withstand that.
But just as abusers can be people with nice families who are kind to their friends, so can victims be insensitive a**es.
I agree w geekychick and Ally. I don’t like Rose McGowan, either. She’s always trying to make everything about her, so desperate for her fading publicity that she now inserts herself into a tragic suicide story of a man it seems she barely knew on a personal level. Plus, to proclaim that Asia had also been suicidal, but “gotten better for her kids” is to insinuate that Bourdain did not care enough for *his* own children to “get well.” That is a TERRIBLE thing to write, terrible for Bourdain’s young daughter, and for Bourdain’s legacy, as well. I really wish Rose weren’t so desperately greedy for any type of attention.
I don’t know what Asia was thinking in asking Rose McGowan to write that letter. Neither comes off looking good, and Rose seems to perpetuate some of the harmful thinking about those who are suicidal. I believe Weinstein has terrorized Rose and I’m glad she spoke out. I loved her in the 90s; I thought she was so unique and charismatic. But she has revealed herself to be deeply narcissistic, and I don’t think she’s stable.
The whole photo debacle is sounding pretty sketchy, but until someone comes out saying otherwise, I’ll believe that they had an open relationship. There’s lots of reasons Asia might have asked the paparazzo to delete the photos (if the Page Six article can be believed); unfortunately, for some, Asia’s motivations seem murky given what we know now. Asia needs support and love; I’m not sure Rose is the most stable person to turn to in such a difficult time. That letter was a hot mess.
I agree on all counts, hunca. Though I don’t blame Asia for doing something to protect herself., She’s being viciously attacked and blamed for Bourdain’s death, which is both scary and deeply unfair.
I think it’s scary and gross to attempt to throw a deceased person under the bus to try save face by basically saying, “He had many reasons to kill himself. It’s not me, it’s not me.”
Right? It felt like they threw him under the bus. The man is not dead a week. I don’t think Rose is in any position to publically make statements on his mental health as if she knows all the facts of what he went through during his entire life. They should think about his daughter. I do understand that Asia is going through a bad time, and of course the misogynists are out in full force, blaming her. Even if she did cheat and he killed himself in the direct aftermath, well, that could have happened to me. I am not going to judge her. He had a daughter and if she couldn’t keep him here then I doubt Asia could. I saw someone say if he had never met Asia he’d still be here. Maybe. Or maybe he’d have killed himself a year sooner. We’ll never know. But you don’t kill yourself because someone cheated on you unless you had serious underlying issues.
The whole thing is just such a messy situation. I get her need to protect herself, I do, but Bourdain cannot defend himself. And if them breaking up (allegedly) or her maybe possibly cheating led to him committing suicide then it still wouldn’t be Asia’s fault. Not that the disgusting misogynistic MRAs would ever get that through their thick heads. She needs to be as vague as possible and try to maintain privacy for herself, Anthony’s legacy and his family.
This case is sooo bizarre that I feel like I’m only hearing one side of it. Jose Baez is the lawyer that defended Casey Anthony… I’d like to hear exactly what the DA presented to the grand jury that resulted in an indictment before I form an opinion.
I’m sorry I but I don’t understand
The case against her as presented by her and her lawyer (and here) is so incredibly weak that I question if it’s truthful or the whole story. What do you expect them to say other than denial? And Jose Baez is capable of going in the dirt to defend his client as seen in the Casey Anthony trial. The DA can reject a weak case as a waste of time but he/she proceeded to present it to the grand jury and they in turn made the decision based on the evidence presented to indict her- send her to trial. For these two reasons I feel like I do not know the whole story and am not assuming innocence or guilt until I have more information.
She is clearly on something and has been for a long time. I think Weinstein is a convenient excuse for her.
Not sure about the Weinstein excuse, but I believe she’s using as well. She was going off the rails for a while … coke would explain that.
Sorry but I find her very unlikeable. She’s an incredibly self obsessed narcissistic person. I know she’s hurting but I find it problematic that she’s spearheading the metoo movement. She just makes it all about her. Not to mention we are supposed to ignore her transphobic racially insensitive comments.
I think Rose just comes from such a dysfunctional family that she had mental health issues or emotional trauma to begin with. The Weinstein rape is an awful thing for someone who has been through so much already and she really was black balled in HW. It reminds me of an aunt, who had a rough upbringing and then she married an alcoholic and she ended up having a nervous break down and is now on many antidepressants and sleeping pills,never being the same. I know Rose’s story is different but I feel like she was fragile And Weinstein really did damage that makes me sad for her. I now always take her w a grain of salt (fighting w people at her book launch…)
Exhibit A for the defense:
https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/26/health/atm-dirty-cash-partner/index.html
I am very curious to see how the prosecution intends to prove Rose had custody and complete control over the coke in her lost wallet. But this is Virginia so with the right jury they might still win it.
I just don’t think there is any real use or anything beneficial coming from that open letter/Argento’s statements/statements on behalf of Argento.
How long do we know Anthony Bourdain as a public figure? 10years? 15?
As someone who only knew about him (I admired him greatly, but dodn’t follow closely), it seems a bit…wrong to have all this conversation about a person who influenced public for more than 10 years-be about what he did or didn’t do withhis girlfriend in the last year of his life. Like, Asia Argento, I’m sorry but it’s true, doesn’t define him. I’m sure that if you asked him, his children or previous life-partner or immediate family would be the persons he would refer to first.
and I don’t think that it’s particularly fair to his child(ren?) or his closest, lfelong friends to read about him, now, from someone who knew him in the last few years, not those who followed him through lofe. and the fact that those people aren’t spwaking in such details about him tells you how he wanted to be remembered and how much he (didn’t) want to be talked about in this way.
I totally agree, geekychick. Bourdain is a beloved public figure with an incredible legacy and I can’t help but feel his memory is being cheapened by this. I mean, who was Rose McGowan to Anthony Bourdain? What right does she have to comment on his suicide, FFS? Was she his best friend and confidante? Nothing would indicate that she was more than a casual acquaintance who met him through Asia and knew him only near the very end of his life. She is Asia’s friend, fine; that doesn’t give her the right to “explain” his mental condition or suicide to the world. No one knows what he was going through at that moment except for him, period. Asia could have said something to defend herself or if she wasn’t able to do so yet, waited until she felt ready. Having this come from Rose is extremely odd and inappropriate.
Rose claims Weinstein had someone plant cocaine in her wallet to “silence” her. At this point I’d plant cocaine on her to shut her up too. She’s managed to turn Anthony Bourdain’s very sad, unexpected tragedy into something about her and it’s annoying. His daughter should be who everyone is thinking about, not Rose, Rose’s dad, Harvey Weinstein or Asia Argento. Even his ex wife and daughter didn’t carry on posting videos crying the way Rose did.
You break the law you face the consequences simple.
Yes, this case is bizarre, but I don´t doubt for one second that she´s on drugs judging from her interviews over the last couple of months. Paige was my favourite on Charmed, I can barely watch it anymore because of how she´s been acting over the past year or so. And I believe her every single word, it´s just the way she says it and how she acts.
I have become truly disgusted with her after watching her show on E. Extreme narcissism and attention seeking behavior. It is problematic to say the least.