Harvey Weinstein accuser Rose McGowan says Democratic Party 'protected' mogul

'My life is a little strange. I sold my house in Hollywood ... I feel like it is best to be on the move right now. I have a lot of scary people tailing me, private investigators, spies'

This combination photo shows actors, Rose McGowan at a premiere in Los Angeles on April 15, 2015, left, and Ashley Judd in Beverly Hilla, Calif. on July 25, 2017.  Producer Harvey Weinstein is taking a leave of absence from his company after The New York Times released a report alleging decades of sexual harassment against women, including employees and actress Ashley Judd. The Times reports two company officials say at least eight women have received settlements, including actress Rose McGowan. (AP Photo/File)
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Rose McGowan, one of the first women to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, has said that the movie mogul was protected by the Democratic Party.

McGowan, who alleged that Weinstein raped her in 1997, is one of around 90 women to make sexual harassment allegations against the 66-year-old.

Weinstein, who has been charged with six sexual assault counts relating to three different women, denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival to promote her new book Brave, the former Charmed star compared the ex Miramax studio boss to a cult leader.

“Harvey Weinstein, his protection came from the Democratic Party, far more so than Hollywood," the 44-year-old said. “He was their de facto cult leader and their star, and thanked as many times as God at the Oscars - a dead heat."

“He tended to go for anybody. And the scale, it was probably in the thousands,” she added.

Weinstein was one of the Democrats most high-profile donors and a long-time supporter of 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. He is believed to have raised $1.5 million (Dh5.5 million) for the party from 1990-2016.

Clinton and former president Barack Obama both condemned Weinstein, but faced criticism for not doing so in the immediate wake of the allegations.

Three sister battle against the forces of evil in Charmed, which ran in the US from 1998 to 2006. From left: Holly Marie Combs, Rose McGowan, and Alyssa Milano.
CREDIT: Courtesy Spelling Television
Rose McGowan is best known for starring in TV series Charmed with Holly Marie Combs (left) and Alyssa Milano (right). Courtesy Spelling Television

McGowan said the election of US president Donald Trump, who was recorded boasting about groping women in 2005, had made it clear that the fight for gender equality was far from over.

“I started getting mad three years ago when Obama was president and equal pay was voted down in the Senate floor. And he didn’t say anything.

“I do think Trump has done us a favour if we can survive him, but I think showing us clearly what racism is, what sexism is. He is doing what they all did before, he just says it."

“So many of his predecessors, they worked under those same auspices he’s just so dumb he actually says it.”

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In Brave, McGowan details her alleged assault by Weinstein, whom she refers to as the "monster", in a hotel room. She said a network of people from the Maître D at the hotel to her manager at the time helped conceal the disgraced producer's abuse.

The actress, who made her breakthrough in the 1996 horror film Scream, said last year in The New Yorker that she had been spied on by former Mossad agents turned private investigators hired by Weinstein.

“My life is a little strange. I sold my house in Hollywood. I live nowhere,” she said. “I feel like it is best to be on the move right now. I have a lot of scary people tailing me, private investigators, spies. This has all been documented by the way.”

Founder of the #MeToo campaign Tarana Burke (R) introduces Actor Rose McGowan to speak during the opening session of the three-day Women's Convention at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., October 27, 2017. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
Founder of the #MeToo campaign Tarana Burke (R) introduces Actor Rose McGowan to speak during the opening session of the three-day Women's Convention at Cobo Center in Detroit

Discussing the toll, the revelations, first published in October 2017, had taken on her life, she added: “I’m trying to find my way in the world right now.

“This last year, the stress of it almost snapped me. I’m strong, but it was really hard. It felt like I was manning the Titanic and failing to let it sink.”