Rose McGowan went after fellow actress Natalie Portman in a scathing Facebook post on Tuesday, just two days after Portman appeared at the Oscars with the names of overlooked female directors embroidered into her Dior cape.
“The kind of protest that gets rave reviews from the mainstream media for its bravery. Brave? No, not by a long shot. More like an actress acting the part of someone who cares. As so many of them do,” wrote McGowan, who has spent much of her time in the last few years speaking out against disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein as he faces criminal charges for sexual assault and other felony counts.
“I find Portman’s type of activism deeply offensive to those of us who actually do the work. I’m not writing this out of bitterness, I am writing out of disgust,” she went on. “I just want her and other actresses to walk the walk.”
She also tore into Portman’s history within her own production company, Handsomecharlie Films: “Natalie, you have worked with two female directors in your very long career — one of them was you. You have a production company that has hired exactly one female director — you.” (Editor’s note: Portman worked with director Mira Nair in 2008’s “New York, I Love You.”)
A review of the company’s films proves that to be true. Portman has directed two of the company’s eight movies. The other six were directed by men.
“I was at a Women in Film event that you spoke at once, Natalie. You reeled off depressing statistics and then we all went back to our salads. I quickly realized you and the other women speakers (and that joke of an organization) are just… frauds. You say nothing, you do nothing,” McGowan wrote.
A representative for Women in Film — one of the longest-running organizations fighting for parity in the industry — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Representatives for Portman also did not immediately return a request for comment.
During Sunday’s pre-Oscars red carpet event, Los Angeles Times journalist Amy Kaufman tweeted a video showing that Portman’s custom outfit bore the names of Lulu Wang, Greta Gerwig, Lorene Scafaria, Marielle Heller, Alma Har’el and Mari Diop, and others. All of them are female directors who were not nominated for an award at the ceremony this year.
You can watch Portman explain her fashion — and political — statement below:
Natalie Portman embroidered her Dior cape with all of the female directors who weren't nominated for #Oscars. Check out her explanation here. pic.twitter.com/kyyo2wVMZf
Oscars 2020 Party Report: Oscar Night Celebrations Bring Out Hollywood's Biggest Stars (Photos)
Oscar night parties began with viewing soirees at hotspots all over Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, then picked up speed as the show ended with Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite" historic win. Once the Dolby Theatre emptied out, Hollywood's hottest started the bouncing, going from party to party well into the wee hours. Here are a few of the stops the stars hit along the way.
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Every winner's first after-party was the Governor's Ball, where they had to stand in line at the engraving stand behind Bong Joon Ho, whose golden boys filled up the table. Renée Zellweger (pictured) wasn't complaining, not were Taika Waititi or Joaquin Phoenix, who had a bonding moment while they waited. Everyone was wowed by producer Cheryl Cecchetto's "Filmscapes" theme that presciently featured images from world cinema. How did she know South Korea was going to win Best Picture?
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It was a family affair both at the Oscar ceremony and beyond, as winners like Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix brought their mothers along for the ride. And Joaquin went one step further and brought the whole clan to the Vanity Fair party, set up at the Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills, which remains the most sought-after ticket of the night. From nominees and winners like Bong Joon Ho, Renée Zellweger, Laura Dern, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Florence Pugh to the Kim Kardashian-Kanye West clan, this was the place to be Sunday night. Rain Phoenix, Arlyn Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Summer Phoenix and guests are pictured together above.
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At the 28th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Viewing Party, IMDb broadcast a live stream from the bash, which raised over $6.4 million for the global effort to end AIDS. The "Queer Eye" Fab Five kept things going, while the assemblage bid on both silent and live auction items. When Elton John and Bernie Taupin (pictured above with David Furnish) triumphantly arrived with their Oscars in hand, the crowd went crazy; as Sharon Stone commented to TheWrap, it was one of the biggest turnouts she's ever seen at the bash. John gave kudos to Taupin, saying, "That bond from the day we met has only gotten stronger to the current day. I love him more than you'll ever know!" Feeling the love at the packed West Hollywood Park venue were Billy Porter, Christina Ricci, Heidi Klum, Christina Hendricks and a slew of other stars.
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Viewing parties actually happened all over Beverly Hills, with the Mercedes-Benz Oscars Viewing Party one of the top choices, with its elegant setting in the ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel. They even had an astrologer on hand to do some predicting for guests, who included Jon Hamm, Linda Cardellini, Jane Lynch and Martha Stewart. Stewart didn't do any twerking during the show, but she sure giggled when we chatted with her about her recent dance cameo in Snoop Dogg's video remake of "Drop It Like It's Hot," saying, "That was so much fun! It's cute, isn't it?" Tracee Ellis Ross drew stares with her fascinating nose-to-earring (pictured), while most of the crowd went more traditional with tuxedos and sparkly gowns.
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Byron Allen brought Adam Levine and Maroon 5 to his fourth annual viewing and after-party at the Beverly Wilshire, which of course drew a crowd to the ballroom, who also gave generously to the cause. Benefitting Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the bash raised $1.5 million for the hospital, as Tiffany Haddish (pictured) and Chris Tucker helped Allen run the live auction and kept the crowd laughing while they opened their pockets. Quincy Jones, Garcelle Beauvais, Paris Hilton, Russell Peters and former Lakers player Derek Fisher made the scene, with Fisher taking the mic to remember his teammate Kobe Bryant in an emotional moment.
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Dennis Quaid (pictured) brought some raucous rock 'n roll to Daphna Ziman's Children Uniting Nations Cinemoi 21st Annual Oscars Celebration, Viewing Dinner and After Party held at the Harry Warner Estate in Beverly Hills. Metta World Peace, Maya Ford, Ray Lewis, Corey Brooks and other notables attended, with an eye to giving back to at-risk children while celebrating Oscar's big night.
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Netflix took over the San Vicente Bungalows for their Oscars after-party hosted by the company's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos. And while their 24 nominations only netted two wins, including Laura Dern's (pictured with Sarandos) for "Marriage Story," everyone at the party was still in high spirits, including Martin Scorsese and his daughter Francesca as well as many other stars in Netflix's ever-growing stable.
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Michael K. Williams (pictured) served as the welcoming host for the 3rd Annual Griot Gala Oscars After Party, held at Ocean Prime restaurant in the heart of Beverly Hills. Celebrating "diversity, inclusion and equality," the gala honored David Steward II, the CEO of Lion Forge Entertainment and the producer of "Hair Love," which snagged the Oscar for best animated short. Vanessa Bell Calloway was also honored, as friends like Anne-Marie Johnson, Tzi Ma, Glynn Turman and MJ Rodriguez stopped in to enjoy the restaurant's delicious seafood bites as they rehashed the excitement of the 92nd Annual Academy Awards.
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The night ended with a bang as “Parasite” led the party scene that rocked all over Los Angeles
Oscar night parties began with viewing soirees at hotspots all over Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, then picked up speed as the show ended with Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite" historic win. Once the Dolby Theatre emptied out, Hollywood's hottest started the bouncing, going from party to party well into the wee hours. Here are a few of the stops the stars hit along the way.
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