Actress Rose McGowan froze “like a statue” when Harvey Weinstein reportedly forced himself upon her during an alleged sexual assault 21 years ago.
The Charmed star has been one of the most outspoken voices in the ongoing movement against sexual misconduct in the workplace, accusing the disgraced movie mogul of raping her during a hotel meeting at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival in Utah and then blacklisting her in Hollywood when she tried to seek justice.
Now, for the first time, she has detailed what she claims took place in Weinstein’s suite all those years ago for her new memoir, Brave, released this week (begs29Jan18).
According to a review of the book in The New York Times, Rose never mentions the producer by name, only calling him “the Monster”, but it’s clear who she is referring to as she recalls arriving at his suite in Park City, where she thought they were going to discuss her promising career prospects.
McGowan claims Weinstein pulled her into a room with a jacuzzi and removed her clothes, before sitting her down by the tub and allegedly performing oral sex on her, while masturbating.
“He moans loudly; through my tears I see his semen floating on top of the bubbles,” she remembers.
The 44-year-old goes on to reveal she sought help from industry professionals about how to deal with the alleged attack, but their advice wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“(They) counseled me to see it as something that would help my career in the long run,” she explains, admitting she even consulted a criminal attorney, who reportedly insisted she would have a hard time proving her side of the story if she tried to press charges.
Meanwhile, Weinstein is also said to have taken steps to prevent McGowan from going public with the apparently sordid details, by allegedly spreading word of her unprofessionalism to hamper her career.
“It seemed like every creep in Hollywood knew about my most vulnerable and violated moment,” she writes. “And I was the one who was punished for it.”
McGowan, who is said to have accepted a $100,000 settlement from Weinstein in 1997, is one of more than 60 women who have called out Weinstein for various incidents of inappropriate behavior ever since he was first outed as an alleged serial sexual predator in a New York Times expose in October (17).
Representatives for Weinstein have repeatedly denied all claims of non-consensual sex.
A statement previously released to People.com also added, “Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances.”
