Harvey Weinstein Accusers Rose McGowan, Asia Argento React to Disgraced Mogul's Arrest

Argento and McGowan shared their thoughts about the disgraced film producer surrendering to police in New York on Friday morning.

Rose McGowan made three televised appearances on Friday in reaction to the news that Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood mogul that she and more than 80 other women have accused of sexual misconduct, had surrendered himself to authorities. More than seven months after the allegations first broke in late 2017, Weinstein was charged with first- and third-degree rape and a criminal sex act in the first degree for forcible sexual acts against two women in 2013 and 2004, respectively.

The night before on Thursday evening, Rose McGowan, who has accused Weinstein of rape and is as an activist in the #MeToo era, posted about his arrest on Instagram.

“I, and so many of Harvey Weinstein’s survivors, had given up hope that our rapist would be held accountable by law. Twenty years ago, I swore that I would right this wrong. Today we are one step closer to justice. We were young women who were assaulted by Weinstein and later terrorized by his vast network of complicity,” she wrote. “I stand with my fellow survivors. May his arrest give hope to all victims and survivors everywhere that are telling their truths.”

In a video interview with the Associated Press posted early Friday morning, McGowan revealed that she is looking forward to attending any of Weinstein’s upcoming trials. “If I’m allowed to, I will attend,” she said. “And hopefully that will actually heal a lot of the kind of trauma I get whenever I see his face or whenever I hear his name or whenever I have to read or hear that he says it was consensual.”

McGowan continued: “And I’ll get to sit there and I’ll get to look at him. And I’ll get to be an eye and so many other victims will get to look him square in the eye and just by being there, represent the fact that we did not want this. We did not ask for this. We were just people.”

LOOK HIM SQUARELY IN THE EYE: #RoseMcGowan says she hopes to attend any upcoming trial for #HarveyWeinstein, as he turns himself in to police. pic.twitter.com/wdvtndpVWR

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) May 25, 2018

McGowan then made a Friday morning appearance on Good Morning America, where she spoke about her “visceral need” to see Weinstein in handcuffs. “I feel shocked. I would say it’s just so big,” she said. “I have to admit I didn’t think I would see the day that he would have handcuffs on him. I have a visceral need for him to have handcuffs on.”

She remarked on Weinstein turning himself in on a “slow media” holiday weekend Friday: “They did something nice for him, that means he has friends in high places still.”

Later in the morning, McGowan tweeted, “We got you, Harvey Weinstein, we got you.”

She also appeared on Megyn Kelly Today for a lengthy segment, where she revisited the most shocking discoveries about Weinstein’s alleged reach in her own life, including her book agent working with Weinstein unbeknowst to her, and the length of time it took for the charges against Weinstein to materialize.

“It’s tragic that it takes over 100 women and that probably means 1,000, let’s be real,” said McGowan. “I mean, this man had hunting grounds all over the world. He had accomplices and a complicity machine. He was the cult leader of Hollywood, their king. He tied with God for thanks at the Oscars. And to see that constantly, and to live in that town — and to see people lay wreaths at his feet even though they knew, today is a good day.” She later added: “The man who pinned me down had handcuffs on him today.”

She spoke about Weinstein’s wife Georgina Chapman, saying she was “purposefully” sat between the pair at a past Cannes Film Festival and that Chapman “would not look” at her face. McGowan and Kelly also discussed proportionality in the #MeToo movement and, as an example, McGowan said Ben Affleck, whom she has previously called out, is an example of someone who “might just be a shmuck” but who she does not believe is a predator. McGowan told Kelly she has no future in Hollywood, something she opened up about in a recent cover story with The Hollywood Reporter.

Early Friday morning, Asia Argento — the Italian actress who accused Weinstein of rape and spoke out against him in a searing speech at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival — took to Twitter to comment. “Today Harvey Weinstein will take his first step on his inevitable descent to hell,” she wrote. “We, the women, finally have real hope for justice.”

Argento and McGowan are two of the more than 80 women who came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein. Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow are also among the high-profile actresses who have come forward with stories about Weinstein’s pattern of alleged abuse.

At around 7:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Weinstein turned himself into the New York Police Department at the first precinct in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, just blocks away from the office of his longtime Weinstein Co. offices. Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance filed felony sex crimes charges against Weinstein; he was arrested by the New York City police department shortly thereafter and taken to court.

In court, when he was arraigned, bond was set at $10 million or $1 million cash; he delivered on the latter. Weinstein relinquished his passport and agreed to wear a monitoring device that allows him to be tracked 24/7. He can only travel between New York and Connecticut unless he receives approval from the D.A.’s office and court to travel elsewhere.

The woman Weinstein allegedly assaulted in 2004 is reportedly former aspiring actress Lucia Evans. Evans previously told investigators that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004. The alleged incident took place at the former Miramax offices in Tribeca. In a New Yorker report with Ronan Farrow on Friday, Evans confirmed she was pressing charges against the disgraced mogul.

Not long after his surrender, Argento tweeted a video of Weinstein’s perp walk and asked, “What took you so long Harvey?”

Hours later, TV chef Anthony Bourdain tweeted his support for Argento, writing, “When you went on record, @AsiaArgento you were sure this day would never come, that you would be crushed, that you were alone. And yet you did it anyway. #perpwalk”

Kathy Griffin, a vocal supporter of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements — both inspired by the myriad allegations made against Weinstein, which first made headlines last October in twin exposés published by The New York Times and The New Yorker — tweeted her support for several Weinstein victims and applauded them for their bravery.

“Tonight, on the eve of the monster turning himself in, I just want to say that I love @RoArquette @AnnabellSciorra @AsiaArgento @rosemcgowan and all of the women who bravely shared their stories,” she wrote. “They had no safety net..but they spoke out any way. Heroes and Revolutionaries.”

Women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred, who has represented a number of Weinstein’s accusers, reacted to his arrest in a statement to THR on Friday morning.

“I represent many accusers of Harvey Weinstein, both in lawsuits and in claims in bankruptcy court. It is long overdue for him to be required to face the bar of justice, but that day has finally come,” said Allred. “I commend the courage of all those who have come forward and who have had the courage to speak their truth to a rich, powerful famous man. We look forward to a just result.”

Weinstein, who has denied any allegations of nonconsensual sex, has been facing multiple criminal charges in New York, Los Angeles and London. Earlier this week, federal prosecutors in Manhattan launched a criminal probe into sex-abuse allegations against Weinstein, focusing on whether he lured women to cross state lines under false pretenses for the purpose of committing sex crimes.

Weinstein also faces numerous civil suits filed by women claiming abuse and harassment.

Weinstein previously evaded arrest in 2015. Last fall, the NYPD faced backlash after it was revealed they failed to prosecute Weinstein after Italian model Ambra Battilana accused him of groping her during a business meeting in 2015. Even though the police worked with Battilana to get Weinstein to acknowledge the incident in a recording, the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., declined to press charges.

May 25, 6:30 a.m. Updated with Gloria Allred’s statement and Rose McGowan’s quotes from GMA.

6:47 a.m. Updated with Anthony Bourdain’s tweet.

8:14 a.m. Updated with McGowan’s Megyn Kelly appearance.

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