With all the love Oprah Winfrey has been given over the years it was only a matter of time that the hate would find its way to her. But who could go after such a well-loved, highly chartable, and active in social justice person? Well, there is one person who has been calling out public figures for years now. And it is actress Rose McGowan who decided to bring all of the criticism to one of the most renowned celebrities of this century. McGowen’s viral Twitter post calls out Oprah’s professional relationship with the imprisoned Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. McGowen has accused Weinstein of sexually assaulting her and using his power to engage in inappropriate behavior during her career. And she is not allowing any celebrity to run away from criticism on benefiting from Weinstein’s actions. In summary, McGowen’s tweet implies that she is happy that the public is becoming aware of Oprah’s past actions. McGowen claims that Oprah cannot even be a part of a documentary that would uplift the Me Too Movement but instead resign from the project. McGowen even goes so far as calling Oprah a lizard.
The shocking post caused a lot of discussions and people were buzzing with speculation or agreeance. It was a daring and shocking announcement, to say the least, from McGowen considering Oprah has been out of the spotlight for years. The most recent posts from Oprah came over a year ago when she commented on leaving as executive producer in Russel Simmon’s #MeToo documentary. Oprah claimed she had creative differences and could no longer be a part of the film but wishes all the best to the women and Simmon. This is highly suspicious behavior for someone who claims to the Me Too movement. However, Oprah cannot escape her past and the people she interacted with throughout the years. And McGowen will not let her or the public forget that Oprah was a huge friend, colleague, and supporter of Weinstein.
Oprah starred in the 2013 movie, The Butler, which was produced by Weinstein and his company. The allegations against him began in 2017. However, Oprah continues to deny knowing any of the allegations against Weinstein and continues that narrative today. Oprah has admitted that many women have important allegations that should be brought to light and most do not involve Weinstein. Meaning, although Oprah used to be Weinstein’s friend she does not think all the spotlight should be put on him alone. She believes many other perpetrators need to be brought to justice and if we just focus on Weinstein then they will be lost in the shadows. Fortunately, Weinstein is currently serving 23 years in prison for charges of sexual assault and rape. As for Rose McGowen, she continues to fight for social justice and is in the middle of covering Gavin Newsome’s election. She is so deep within this recall election that Newseom’s wife contacted her privately and asked the actress to stop talking about Newsome altogether. Knowing the integrity of McGowen we will see if she will stay quiet during this time or if she will continue to speak her mind.