Rose McGowan Is Accusing TMZ and Harvey Levin of Working for Harvey Weinstein
Since opening the floodgates in Hollywood over sex abuse, Rose McGowan has not slowed down. As one of TIME‘s “Silence Breakers,” McGowan has been on the warpath to expose abuse and harassment for all women — not just celebrities. The Grindhouse star took the accusations to Twitter last night, saying TMZ boss Harvey Levin is harassing her, and that she believes the gossip host is on the payroll for Harvey Weinstein.
Help! I’m being harassed by @HarveyLevinTMZ He is hanging something over my head. He is on HW’s payroll. -Levin, you motherfucker, I’m trying to stop an international rapist. WTF have you done with your scumbag life? Back the fuck up. #ROSEARMY
— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) December 14, 2017
Shortly after tweeting a link to a story accusing Weinstein’s Hong Kong based studio boss of the assault of seven women, McGowan tweeted, “Help! I’m being harassed by @HarveyLevinTMZ He is hanging something over my head. He is on HW’s payroll. -Levin, you motherf*cker, I’m trying to stop an international rapist. WTF have you done with your scumbag life? Back the f*ck up. #ROSEARMY.” As if that first tweet wasn’t ominous enough, McGowan went on an explicit rant, warning the men to leave her alone.
“You gentlemen don’t seem to know who you are f*cking with,” she raged. “I am unf*ckable. Why? Because you simply do not exist in my reality. Your shaming of me for being a free adult is so passé. Dumb motherf*ckers. I told you who I am. Over and over again. Dumb. Motherf*ckers.” Finally, the actress said, “I will drag you to hell and back and scorch your earth,” before dropping the subject.
I will drag you to hell and back and scorch your earth #ROSEARMY
— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) December 14, 2017
While some were scratching their heads over McGowan’s seemingly out-of-nowhere tweet, anonymous pop culture blogger, Pop Culture Died in 2009 threw down some of the facts as they have seen them play out over the years.
It’s easy to write off Rose’s tweet as an exaggeration, but Harvey Levin is on Harvey Weinstein’s side – why?
1). Blair Berk (Levin’s good friend and vacation buddy from what I’ve heard…)
2). Sitrick & Company/Mike Sitrick https://t.co/L9E4Huq396— popculturediedin2009 (@pcd2009) December 14, 2017
Berk is Weinstein’s attorney. Sitrick & Co. is the PR firm currently representing him. Sitrick’s past clients include Dr Luke, Michael Vick, Paris Hilton, Scientology, and Marc Kasowitz… He has a very friendly relationship with @TMZ. Just look back at their old Kesha coverage.
— popculturediedin2009 (@pcd2009) December 14, 2017
In a few tweets, the anonymous blogger says that Levin is in fact good friends with people closely associated with Weinstein and asks fans to look back at how Levin has covered cases related to his friends in the past — most notably, Kesha’s ongoing legal drama with her alleged abuser, Dr. Luke, who was a client of Mike Sitrick, a PR agent who counts Dr. Luke and Weinstein as his clients.
The Cut further goes on to say that TMZ has been “misogynist” in their coverage of abused women, always erring on the side of the powerful men being accused. The site specifically mentions Levin’s lambasting of Amber Heard, as well as the way they often brush off abuse allegations in order to protect the celebs being taken to task.
While it is now known that Weinstein employed private investigators and used other coercive methods to get information on people he was dealing with, McGowan faced arrest last month in Virginia, after staff at Dulles airport allegedly found drugs in the actress’s wallet, the timing of which the Charmed actress questioned.
What do you think of Rose McGowan’s latest controversy? Tell us @BritandCo!
(Photo via Michael Tullberg/Getty)