Natalie Portman is setting the record straight after some serious drama with Rose McGowan!
It all started this past weekend with the Oscars telecast, when Portman hit the red carpet wearing a black cape embroidered with the names of several female directors she felt were snubbed from Best Director nominations this year. And while the gesture of support was a nice one — and an original one, to be sure — it REALLY didn’t sit well with McGowan, who called her out.
Related: Natalie Portman Opens Up About Her Britney Spears Friendship!
Writing on Facebook in reacting to the 38-year-old film star’s Oscars statement, McGowan criticized it as a “protest” statement, and added (below):
“[It is] deeply offensive to those of us who actually do the work … This protest was more like an actress acting the part of someone who cares. [Portman, you] are the problem because you’ve only worked with two female directors in your very long career- and one of them was you … You ‘A-listers’ could change the world if you’d take a stand instead of being the problem. Yes, you, Natalie. You are the problem. Lip service is the problem.”
Wow! McGowan sure didn’t hold back with that call-out, did she?!
As far as fighting Harvey Weinstein and sexism and some of the other nastier things in Hollywood, McGowan sure knows what she’s talking about…
But the Black Swan actress was quick to respond to that call-out, too, releasing a statement on Tuesday to People that said in part (below):
“I agree with Ms. McGowan that it is inaccurate to call me ‘brave’ for wearing a garment with women’s names on it. Brave is a term I more strongly associate with actions like those of the women who have been testifying against Harvey Weinstein the last few weeks, under incredible pressure.”
Amen!
And the actress continued from there, further responding with this:
“The past few years have seen a blossoming of directing opportunities for women due to the collective efforts of many people who have been calling out the system. The gift has been these incredible films. I hope that what was intended as a simple nod to them does not distract from their great achievements. It is true I’ve only made a few films with women. In my long career, I’ve only gotten the chance to work with female directors a few times – I’ve made shorts, commercials, music videos and features with Marya Cohen, Mira Nair, Rebecca Zlotowski, Anna Rose Holmer, Sofia Coppola, Shirin Neshat and myself. Unfortunately, the unmade films I have tried to make are a ghost history.”
She wasn’t done there, either.
Portman further added more about the difficult road women face if they want to direct films in Hollywood:
“As Stacy Smith of USC has well documented, female films have been incredibly hard to get made at studios, or to get independently financed. If these films do get made, women face enormous challenges during the making of them. I have had the experience a few times of helping get female directors hired on projects which they were then forced out of because of the conditions they faced at work. After they are made, female-directed films face difficulty getting into festivals, getting distribution and getting accolades because of the gatekeepers at every level. So I want to say, I have tried, and I will keep trying. While I have not yet been successful, I am hopeful that we are stepping into a new day.”
Very well said!!
McGowan sure doesn’t hold back with how she felt here, but Portman acquitted herself very, very well. Also, raising awareness does count for something…
Related: Rose McGowan Slams ‘New York Times’ Over Harvey Weinstein News
Here’s to not picking a side, and cheering on the well-being and future success of BOTH of these amazing and intelligent women!
Keep talking about issues that matter and causes that’ll change the world, y’all!!
[Image via Adriana M. Barraza/WENN/Avalon]
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