Rose McGowan calls on her fellow rape survivors to “defend themselves” against evil afterwards. Harvey WeinsteinThe rape conviction is overturned.
“They will never let us down,” she captioned an Instagram video on Thursday, April 25. “Blessings to all who have given all their #spirit #courage #unity.”
McGowan, who accused Weinstein, 72, of sexually assaulting her in 1997, then decided to inspire all the women who spoke out against their attackers in a powerful video.
Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction was overturned, four years after he was found guilty of criminal sexual assault and rape. Weinstein, 72, was first accused in 2017 of decades of sexual assault and harassment by multiple women. The disgruntled film producer vehemently denied all allegations before checking himself into a treatment facility. One year later, […]
“I’m proud of how far we’ve come. How much we have woken up. What we believe to be true about ourselves. And what we know about others is true,” she explained. “No matter what they do, they cannot take away who we are, what we are, what we have been through and what we can achieve in this life.”
The Charmed The 50-year-old alum reminded her surviving sisters, “We are not victims. We are people who have been hurt by evil. Evil sticks together as you see it… but we are better.”
“To everyone out there fighting the good fight. You are light weighted. You are beautiful. You are important. I’m with you,” she continued. “Some days we get slapped on the butt more than others. But we will stand up. We can find the little joys no matter what.”
McGowan added that it was OK to “shed those tears” today over the court’s decision, but urged her supporters to then move forward stronger than before.
“You are brave, you are beautiful, you are strong. We know the truth. We know what we are and what they are,” she affirmed. “You’re brave. You’re amazing. I’m proud of you.”
The actress concluded: “Tomorrow we will get up. Stand up, shake off the dust, and look for every little spark of joy and beauty we can find. Much love.”
McGowan is one of more than 50 women who have accused Weinstein of rape and sexual assault in an exposé published by The New York Times in October 2017, this sparked the #MeToo movement.
Although on the surface Hollywood appears to be full of glitz and glamour, the industry has seen its fair share of scandals over the years. The New York Times and The New Yorker first published investigative pieces in 2017 accusing disgruntled film producer Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual assault and harassment. Soon after, Weinstein stood trial and was convicted […]
The allegations date back 30 years and led to Weinstein losing his job at his own company. Weinstein’s wife, Georgina ChapmanHe then divorced the disgraced entertainment mogul.
In 2020, Weinstein was found guilty of sexual assault and rape and sentenced to 23 years in prison. In 2022, he faced a separate trial and was found guilty of three charges of rape and assault, adding 16 years to his sentence.
Weinstein appealed the court’s 2020 ruling, which was decided this month. The New York Court of Appeals overturned the ruling 4-3 on Thursday, claiming that the court’s previous figures were biased.
“Today’s decision is a big step backwards when it comes to holding those responsible for acts of sexual violence accountable,” the lawyer said Douglas H. Wigdorwho represented eight of Weinstein’s victims, said Us weekly in a statement. “Courts routinely admit evidence of other unindicted acts when helping jurors understand issues related to the defendant’s intent, course of action, or plan. The jury was informed of the relevance of this statement and the overturning of the verdict is tragic in that it will force another trial on the victims.”
Weinstein will remain in prison until the court’s verdict in 2022.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).