Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press
- Rose McGowan appeared alongside Larry Elder days before the California recall election.
- McGowan accused Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife of trying to silence her about Harvey Weinstein.
- A spokesperson for Jennifer Siebel Newsom called the claims a “complete fabrication.”
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
Activist and actor Rose McGowan appeared alongside California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder at a press conference on Sunday, two days before the state’s recall election.
McGowan, a leading figure in the #MeToo movement, accused the wife of Elder’s opponent, Gov. Gavin Newsom, of trying to silence her about movie producer Harvey Weinstein, The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel reported.
In a statement provided to Insider, a spokesperson for Jennifer Siebel Newsom said McGowan’s claim was a “complete fabrication.”
“It’s disappointing but not surprising to see political opponents launch these false attacks just days before the election. Their limited correspondence has been strictly as fellow survivors of sexual assault and in Jennifer’s former capacity leading the Representation Project, an organization that fights limiting gender stereotypes and norms,” the statement said.
The spokesperson also noted Jennifer Siebel Newsom came forward with her own allegations about Weinstein in October 2017 in a piece she wrote for Huffpost.
McGowan first made the accusation against Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who married Gavin Newsom in 2008, on Thursday while speaking on The Rubin Report, a political news talk show.
McGowan said Jennifer Siebel Newsom contacted her in 2017, about six months before The New York Times published their bombshell report detailing decades of sexual harassment accusations against Weinstein.
McGowan said Jennifer Siebel Newsom called her on behalf of Weinstein’s lawyer to ask what they could do “to make her happy,” which she understood to be a bribe offer.
McGowan also shared a Twitter thread on Sunday detailing how she says her interactions with Jennifer Siebel Newsom unfolded.
At the press conference with Elder, McGowan also said she is no longer a Democrat, “because everyone who has harassed, stalked, and stolen from me in my time in Hollywood has been a Democrat,” Weigel reported.
She said she does not agree with Elder, who is a Republican, on every issue, but that he is a “better candidate” and “better man” than Gavin Newsom.
She did not make any allegations about Gavin Newsom, who has a comfortable lead in the polls, during the press conference, according to Weigel.
McGowan did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Elder, a conservative talk radio host who is leading amongst Newsom’s challengers, has a long history of making derogatory comments about women, CNN reported.
Elder’s ex-wife has accused him of domestic violence and said he pressured her into “unwanted sexual activity.” She filed a police report against him late last month after he publicly denied her claim that he had once brandished a gun at her.
Powered by WPeMatico
