Rose claps back at Weinstein claim

Rose McGowan says it’s time for Harvey Weinstein to drop his story about a “consensual” relationship. “He can fall off the planet,” the activist said during an interview on Wednesday. “My statement is truth. My statement is reality. Stop saying it’s consensual, you pig! You know it’s not true.”

Weinstein issued a statement on Tuesday that quoted an alleged email from McGowan’s former manager, saying that the actress had spoken of a consensual encounter with him. Weinstein is accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct, revelations that helped lead to allegations against Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose and dozens of other men.

McGowan, 44, is promoting a trilogy (a “holy trinity without the ‘holy,’” she calls it) of new projects this week, including the album Planet 9, the E! docuseries Citizen Rose and the memoir Brave.

Her book includes a graphic account of being assaulted by the movie producer in a hotel 20 years ago. Besides her comment, McGowan issued a statement on Wednesday saying that his remarks were part of an ongoing effort to “smear” her. “It is an affront not only to Rose but to the hundreds of women who have come forward with their stories of harassment, sexual abuse and rape perpetrated by Mr Weinstein and those like him,” the statement reads in part. —AP