Rose McGowan called out fellow actress Meryl Streep on social media Friday after the latter described the dozens of sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein as an “example of disrespect” during a women’s conference in Boston this week.
Streep — who appeared alongside feminist activist Gloria Steinem Thursday at the Massachusetts Women’s Conference — addressed the allegations against Weinstein, who has been accused by at least ninety women of various sexual offenses, including rape.
In her comments, Streep described the allegations as “the most gargantuan example of disrespect” across the many industries dealing with sex misconduct claims.
“It’s such an interesting moment, because this conversation about why this is so widespread, this is really worth having and it’s fantastic,” she said. “I can’t help thinking it’s just a door that’s opening to a better world.”
But McGowan — who has herself accused Weinstein of rape and who has been a vocal advocate for the women who have come forward with their own stories — slammed Streep’s characterization of the claims against the producer, publicly chastising the 68-year-old three-time Oscar-winner on Twitter.
“No, Meryl, IT’S A F***ING CRIME,” McGowan wrote in a tweet. “You are such a lie.”
McGowan has been one of the central figures in the allegations against Weinstein since the New York Times first reported that the producer struck a $100,000 financial settlement related to sexual misconduct with the actress in the 1990s.
McGowan claimed in a January interview published by the Guardian — before the allegations against Weinstein exposed a widespread scandal in Hollywood — that she had been blacklisted in the industry because of her experience.
“They blame the victim, they do all that sh*t. People are bred to be scared. They are bred to put fear into people and that’s what they do, they’re bred to put fear into the publishers and lawyers and they overreach it, and I’m going to do what I can and come out as hard as I can,” she told the paper.
In October, McGowan told actor Ben Affleck to “f*ck off” on Twitter after Affleck claimed not to have known about the allegations against Weinstein, with whom he collaborated on 1998’s Good Will Hunting.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum
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