Rose McGowan Is Suing Harvey Weinstein for Trying to Shut Down Her Rape Allegations

Rose McGowan is adding one more layer to the MeToo movement, bringing it to the courts. According to legal documents obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, McGowan is suing Weinstein, and his former lawyers, Lisa Bloom and David Boies, along with private intelligence agency Black Cube, for trying to have her rape allegations removed from her 2018 memoir, Brave. People adds that charges being brought against Weinstein and his team include "racketeering, violations of the Federal Wiretap Act, invasion of privacy and fraud, as well as intentional infliction of emotional distress."

"This case is about a diabolical and illegal effort by one of America's most powerful men and his representatives to silence sexual assault victims," court documents read. "And it is about the courageous women and journalists who persisted to reveal the truth."

Weinstein's attorney, Phyllis Kupferstein, issued a response, writing, "Once and for all, Rose McGowan will be shown to be what she is; a publicity seeker looking for money. From the moment she sought a multi-million dollar payout in return for not making these baseless allegations, which we rejected, we knew that she was waiting for an opportune time to begin this. We will demonstrate that this case has no legal merit."

Weinstein has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty to all charges. McGowan's filing allegedly says that he and his team did its best to ensure that no mention of rape or sexual assault would ever reach the public. She insists that Weinstein and his lawyers did everything in their power could to discredit accusers and ensure that nothing happened to the producer's reputation.

"The goal was to ensure that McGowan’s story never saw the light of day, and — if it did — that no one would believe her," the documents read. "He enlisted prominent, media-savvy representatives, David Boies and Lisa Bloom. He hired the international spy agency Black Cube. Together they worked in concert for more than a year to silence Weinstein's victims and journalists who were reporting Weinstein's abuses."

Bloom's attorney, Eric George, also issued a response to People, writing, "It is inexcusable that Ms. McGowan chose to include my client in her lawsuit. Facts matter. There is simply no credible factual or legal basis for her claims against my client. We look forward to our day in court to set the record straight."

McGowan's suit states that because of her accusations, she lost job opportunities, her book did not sell as many copies as it could have, and she suffered trauma and depression because of the intense scrutiny that she endured. According to The Washington Post, Weinstein is set to go to trial in January 2020. He is facing charges of "rape, predatory sexual assault, and criminal sexual act."