By John Carucci
NEW YORK (AP) --Rose McGowan doesn't plan be in the courtroom when Harvey Weinstein's criminal trial starts next week: One of Weinstein's most prominent accusers, McGowan says the trauma the fallen Hollywood mogul caused her is so great she couldn't bear the pain of it.
But Rosanna Arquette, another accuser, has already made plans to be there when it starts, to lend support to the women who have accused Weinstein of sexual assault and plan to testify against him.
"I feel very protective. I want this to be OK," Arquette said in an interview. "I think either way, whatever happens, it's still going to be hard for the people that came forward, in terms of retaliation. He's all about that."
Both McGowan and Arquette spoke to The Associated Press in separate interviews on Friday about the upcoming trial of Weinstein, the once all-powerful Hollywood producer whose world came crashing down in 2017 when parallel investigations by The New York Times and The New Yorker documented alleged sexual misconduct by Weinstein against dozens of women. From Oscar-winning stars to aspiring actresses to associates, claims of sexual harassment, assault and even rape were leveled against Weinstein.
Prosecutors in New York have filed five criminal charges against Weinstein, including two counts of predatory sexual assault that carry a mandatory life sentence.
Weinstein, 67, has denied allegations of non-consensual sex and his lawyer has promised a vigorous defense. Jury selection is expected to begin on Monday.
McGowan has accused Weinstein of raping her over 20 years ago and destroying her career; Weinstein has denied her claims (his representative did not immediately respond to an email request sent Saturday morning seeking comment on McGowan and Arquette's comments made Friday).
Since the allegations against Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement, McGowan has emerged as a vigorous advocate for sexual assault victims. Though she told the AP in 2018 she would be at any trial, McGowan now says while she might be outside the courtroom when it starts, she couldn't imagine being on the inside.
"I also have to focus on what's healthy mentally for me and seeing him is extremely difficult," she said. "You know, I had body flashbacks for years when I would see and receive photos of him or if I saw him in person, I would lean over and throw up in a trash can and my body remembered, you know, things that my brain wanted to silence."
McGowan said seeing Weinstein face criminal charges "will speak volumes to people in the world that have been hurt. And I hope it gets justice for the women involved. Personally, I have justice. My justice might just look different than that."
She added that if Weinstein is found guilty of even one charge, "it's a victory, but it's also a victory to still be standing after all this damn time. It's also a victory to spread the news to other survivors, that is not our shame. It's also a victory to basically have him as the face of rape for all time."
Arquette has accused Weinstein of derailing her career after she resisted her advances, and was one of first women to come forward and tell her story in 2017 (Weinstein has also denied retaliating against women who refused to have sex with him). She told the AP she never thought she would see the day that he would face a trial for his alleged crimes.
Arquette was emotional as she talked about his upcoming trial and what it represented.
"This is a man that is a real predator," she said. "He's destroyed many women's lives. … We need to keep the focus on this crime, and this case with Harvey Weinstein is huge because so many people are looking at it."
Arquette is close friends with one of the women expected to testify against Weinstein: actress Annabella Sciorra, who has accused Weinstein of raping her more than two decades ago. Although Weinstein is not charged with a crime connected with that allegation, prosecutors are hoping to establish a pattern of behavior with her testimony.
Arquette is hoping the testimony of Sciorra and others will lead to an eventual conviction against Weinstein. She said Sciorra's life was "shattered by this experience for many years."
Said Arquette: "The justice system works in a way … people can get out of criminal behavior, and we're praying that that doesn't happen and that there's justice is served."
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More