Actress Rose McGowan recently started a heated debate with media mogul Oprah Winfrey on Twitter. Her tweet exposed a new side of Oprah, raising questions about how the public perceives the influential figure and her use of power over time. This information attracted the attention of many Americans, leading to a post going viral.
McGowan attacked Oprah for her purported connections to Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein in a tweet and accused Weinstein of sexually abusing her. She called Oprah out as “fake” and attacked her for allegedly supporting a “sick power structure for personal gain” with the hashtag #lizard. This statement was quite explicit and left little room for interpretation.
It’s crucial to keep in mind, though, that McGowan wrote her piece about a year after Oprah quit from her position as executive producer of the #MeToo documentary on Russell Simmons. Oprah made it clear that she didn’t think she and the filmmakers were still in agreement with the creative direction and that additional work was required to accurately tell the victims’ tales. Oprah emphasized in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter her unwavering belief in and support for the women who came forward as victims.
Oprah did star in a film that was distributed by Weinstein’s media business, so it is true that she had prior relationships with him. Oprah admitted her previous friendship with Weinstein when the charges against him surfaced, but she insisted she was unaware of his predatory behavior toward women. If she had known, she claimed, she would have spoken out against his reprehensible actions.
Oprah’s relationship with Weinstein serves as a reminder of the difficulties in keeping personal and professional interactions separate, as well as the complexity of the entertainment industry. It’s critical to understand that people can be victims themselves as well as supporters of victims.
Rose McGowan has been vocal in her criticism of Oprah, but she has also been drawn into the drama over the recall of California Governor Gavin Newsom. McGowan’s tweet is noteworthy despite these incidents because it underscores how important it is to disclose abuse and hold people accountable, regardless of their social standing or degree of influence. It reminds us of the power that comes from standing out for what’s right and pushing the conversation toward social justice.
