Actress Rose McGowan pulled no punches recently when she discussed Oprah Winfrey’s connection to alleged sexual abuser and record executive Russell Simmons.
At least 13 women say Simmons harassed, assaulted, or raped them. Several of those women say they were under 18 at the time of the incidents.
At one time, Winfrey was attached to executive produce a film titled “On the Record” about their claims, but she later backed out, reportedly at the behest of Tina Tchen, the former head of the MeToo non-profit Time’s Up. Tchen’s group was ostensibly founded to support victims of sexual abuse in Hollywood, but it became embroiled in scandal when it was revealed that she advised disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on a letter intended to discredit one of his accusers. Tchen, a former Obama White House staffer, and Roberta Kaplan, chairwoman of the Time’s Up board, ultimately resigned.
Winfrey admitted to Fox News that Simmons had pressured her to walk away from the documentary, but she insisted that that had nothing to do with her decision. “I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women,” she told The Hollywood Reporter at the time, adding, “Their stories deserve to be told and heard.”
After Winfrey announced she was backing away from the film, Apple dropped plans to air it on its streaming platform.
In apparent reference to this, McGowan tweeted Sunday, “I am glad more are seeing the ugly truth of Oprah. I wish she were real, but she isn’t. From being pals with Weinstein to abandoning & destroying Russell Simmon’s victims, she is about supporting a sick power structure for personal gain, she is as fake as they come.”
Alongside her comments, McGowan posted a photo of Winfrey kissing convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein’s cheek at an awards dinner.
That same day, McGowan retweeted a comment from a fan who said that many people already believed that Winfrey was a hypocrite, but because they lacked powerful positions, they were ignored.
“Love lots of people [saw] her for who she was,” said an account by the name of Miss Freethinking Independent. “The problem is those that saw her for who she was just happened to be poor. It wasn’t until you spoke out & never backed down that it became widely known. You gapped the bridges between the poor and the elites by exposing the corrupt.”
McGowan also struck out at A-lister Reese Witherspoon for her vocal support of Time’s Up.
In honor of Women’s Equality Day on August 26, Witherspoon tweeted, “HUGE appreciation for all the women who came before us that made this day possible … Let’s keep pushing for more ways to protect our rights and create equality for women everywhere.”
McGowan replied, “Maybe consider working with real activists instead of sham organizations like Time’s Up.”
Witherspoon has offered no comment about the revelations that Time’s Up assisted Cuomo.