Rose McGowan responds to sexual assault allegations against Asia Argento, calls for people to "be gentle"
When the New York Times exposé in October 2017 revealed the extent of Harvey Weinstein's sexual misdemeanors, it was actresses Rose McGowan and Asia Argento who were one of the first to come forward to recount their own experiences with the disgraced producer. The pair became outspoken advocates for the #MeToo movement that swept across the globe, in the process becoming friends with one another. However, McGowan has now come out to express her disappointment at the latest news wherein Argento has been accused in a sexual assault case involving a minor.
Taking to Twitter, McGowan wrote about how she was 'heartbroken' about the ordeal, adding she would continue her crusade for victims across the world: "I got to know Asia Argento ten months ago. Our commonality is the shared pain of being assaulted by Harvey Weinstein. My heart is broken. I will continue my work on behalf of victims everywhere."
In a separate tweet, she insisted that the details were still unclear and that no one should jump to any conclusions, calling for critics to "be gentle": "None of us know the truth of the situation and I’m sure more will be revealed. Be gentle."
According to a new New York Times report, Argento paid actor and musician Jimmy Bennett $380,000 as a settlement after sexually assaulting him. Bennett, who has been appearing in films since the age of 6 — he's credited with roles in 'Amityville Horror,' 'Firewall,' 'Poseidon,' and 'Hostage' — had appeared in 2004's 'The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things' alongside the now 42-year-old. She had played his mother in the movie.
The assault in question is said to take taken place in 2013 in a hotel when Argento, 37 at the time, reportedly performed oral sex on Bennett and then had intercourse with him. The actor was underage at 17, with the legal age of consent in the state of California set at 18.
The documents obtained by the Times alleged that the incident was 'traumatic' for Bennett and that it ultimately contributed to emotional stress and a decline in work and income for the actor. "We hope nothing like this ever happens to you again," Carrie Goldberg, Argento's lawyer wrote in an April letter characterizing the settlement as "helping Mr. Bennett." "You are a powerful and inspiring creator and it is a miserable condition of life that you live among shitty individuals who’ve preyed on both your strengths and your weaknesses."
Bennett has refused to respond to the report, with his lawyer stating that "Jimmy will continue doing what he has been doing over the past months and years, focusing on his music." Argento and her representatives have similarly remained mum about the development.