Today, Rose McGowan is at the frontlines of the #MeToo movement, pushing for change and transparency. But getting to this point has been a two-decade long journey of planning and strategizing for the actress and activist. McGowan told Cheddar that ever since Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her in 1997, she “set about going after him.” “[In] a very David vs. Goliath sort of way, I took a TV show that was not my pace,” she said, referring to her role as Paige Matthews in the hit show “Charmed.” “But strategically...I knew if I could go into the show and hang on, when it was time to press the button so to speak, it would be newsworthy all over the world.” Her determination to bring down Weinstein and upend Hollywood’s male-dominated structure is also driven by her childhood experience as part of the cult “Children of God,” which she said has many parallels with Hollywood. “Anytime you have a power structure with a few people at the top [who] are benefiting, and you aren’t, and you’re all doing things collectively that make it better for them…that really is the definition of a cult,” she explained. Hollywood “is a pretty beastly place” that is “making the mirror for you to look in,” which puts it in a dangerously powerful position, she said. Still, McGowan said she’s “inherently optimistic” and hasn’t let her experiences harden her. She recounts her journey of dealing with sexual assault in her new book “Brave.” For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rose-mcgowan-on-the-hollywood-cult).

Share:
More In Culture
New Details Emerge On Tragic Shooting at "Rust" Movie Set
New details surrounding the deadly shooting that took place on the production set of "Rust" have now emerged. According to sources close to the matter, hours before the set several crew members walked off set over safety concerns. Senior Editor at Variety and host of the "Just for Variety" podcast Marc Malkin along with Certified Firearms Instructor and Founder of The Reload Stephen Gutowski, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Edtech Startup Entity Academy Raises $100 Million
Edtech startup ENTITY Academy raised $100 million in its latest round of funding. The company's platform offers tech training to women via online courses, in areas like data science and software development. The courses include mentoring and career coaching from people working in the tech industry. ENTITY Academy's founder and CEO Jennifer Schwab joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to talk more about the company and the funding.
Why American's Are Splurging on Spooky Season
LendingTree's latest survey found that parents and Gen Zers are the most likely to overspend on Halloween this year. Brianna Wright, a senior consumer research specialist at LendingTree, joined Cheddar to discuss what exactly consumers are splurging on this spooky season and how to carve out room in your budget to celebrate.
YouTube Star Connor Franta Talks New Book 'House Fires'
Connor Franta, YouTube star and author of 'House Fires,' joins Cheddar News to discuss his latest book which is a collection of essays, photos, and poems about dating, sex, relationships, mental health, and so much more.
New Twitter Research Reveals The Platform Content Amplifies 'Political Right'
According to new research by Twitter, the social media platform algorithm amplifies content from the "political right" rather than those on the left. The company says this data comes as the platform has been taking the time to research the implications of its algorithm and whether or not it has caused any "unknown harm". President and CEO of Media Matters for America Angelo Carusone, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
'Rust' Shooting Prompts Calls for Safety in Hollywood
The tragedy on the set of the movie "Rust" is sparking calls for safer Hollywood film sets. Actor Alec Baldwin accidentally killed the film's director of photography and injured the director when he fired a prop gun while rehearsing a scene last week, unaware the weapon was loaded with live rounds. Tom Murray, entertainment editor of Insider, joined Cheddar to discuss how prop guns can still be very dangerous and why Hollywood has prioritized realism over safety, despite several on-set accidents over the decades.
Load More