Actor and activist Rose McGowan recently took to Facebook to criticize fellow actor Natalie Portman for wearing a dress to the Oscars that had the names of female film-makers embroidered on it.
These film-makers, such as Greta Gerwig and Lulu Wang, had not been nominated for best director.
In her post, McGowan referred to Portman’s dress as a “kind of protest that gets rave reviews from the mainstream media” but added that it was “more like an actress acting the part of someone who cares.
As so many of them do.” McGowan went on to say that she found Portman’s “type of activism deeply offensive to those of us who actually do the work.”
The activist specifically accused Portman of not supporting female film-makers, either through working with them or hiring them through her production company, Handsomecharlie Films.
McGowan also claimed that Portman had only been directed by women twice, including in her self-directed film A Tale of Love and Darkness.
However, this is not entirely accurate as Portman has also worked with Nair on the short film compilation New York, I Love You, as well as on the Rebecca Zlotowski-directed Planetarium.
Handsomecharlie Films has participated in seven completed films to date, including the romantic comedy No Strings Attached and the thriller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
While Portman’s A Tale of Love and Darkness is the only film on the list that was directed by a woman, it should be noted that Lynne Ramsay left the film Jane Got a Gun and was replaced by Gavin O’Connor.
In her post, McGowan wrote, “You are the problem. Lip service is the problem…I am singling you out because you are the latest in a long line of actresses who are acting the part of a woman who cares about other women.
“Actresses who supposedly stand for women, but in reality do not do much at all.”
McGowan, who published a memoir titled Brave in 2018 about her alleged experience with Harvey Weinstein, has been vocal in her support of women in the entertainment industry.
It is clear that she believes Portman has not done enough to support female film-makers and has called her out for it on social media.
