Director Alexander Payne has officially responded to the sexual misconduct allegations made by actress Rose McGowan. Payne is well-known for directing Sideways and The Descendants, and first made a dent in Hollywood with his 1999 cult classic film Election. McGowan is perhaps best known for her role as Paige Matthews on Charmed, though she's had an extensive career. McGowan became a prominent figure in the #MeToo movement after she was one of the first women to come forward with allegations of rape against Harvey Weinstein.
In 2018 McGowan told journalist Ronan Farrow that a Hollywood director sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager, though she did not name the director at the time. Last month, McGowan spoke out against Payne on social media, citing the director as the perpetrator she mentioned in her interview with Farrow. Reportedly, the incident occurred in the late '80s when Payne was in his late 20s. McGowan requested an apology from Payne, alleging that Payne sexually assaulted her when she was 15 after showing her a soft-core porn movie in his home. Now, Payne has finally spoken out about McGowan’s sexual misconduct accusations.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Payne officially denies accusations of statutory rape made by McGowan and calls them “simply untrue.” Chronicling his version of events from decades ago, Payne claims that McGowan “is mistaken in saying we met when she was fifteen.” Denying that the two knew each other before 1990, Payne states they met when the actress was 18 after she auditioned for a comic short he was directing for the Playboy Channel. Furthermore, Payne says he and McGowan later “went out on a couple of dates and remained on friendly terms for years.”
Payne closed out his version of events by declaring he wanted to correct the false statements from McGowan and that he will “continue to wish only the best for Rose.” Shortly after Payne issued his statement of denial, McGowan responded by claiming she will continue to pursue her allegations and said, “I didn’t want to destroy, now I do. Why do these men always lie?" As it stands, it is unclear if McGowan will issue additional statements on her allegations against Payne.
The #MeToo movement has brought about something of a reckoning in Hollywood, with many allegations coming to light regarding various instances of sexual harassment and racial discrimination, as well as physical and emotional abuse. It’s allowed victims the opportunity to share their stories and seek justice. Overall, Payne appears to have laid out a timeline on his version of events that does not seem to match McGowan’s original statements. At this time, it remains to be seen if any further action will be taken against Payne from McGowan’s accusations.
Source: THR
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September 06, 2020 at 05:56AM
