Robert Rodriguez is revealing the truth behind his casting of Rose McGowan in his movie, Grindhouse.
The 49-year-old director revealed in a statement published on Variety on Friday (October 27) that he knew about the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault allegations made by the 44-year-old actress, who he dated from 2006 to 2009 – and casting Rose as the “bad ass” in his 2007 film was Robert‘s way of exacting revenge against the film producer.
“I told Rose that she was not blacklisted from MY movies and that Harvey couldn’t tell me who to cast,” he wrote. “I then revealed to Rose right then and there that I was about to start writing a movie with Quentin Tarantino, a double feature throwback to 70′s exploitation movies, and that if she was interested, I would write her a BAD ASS character and make her one of the leads.”
He also spoke out in support of the women who have come forward with their own stories: “Once someone like Harvey Weinstein strikes, the waves, ripple effects, and the collateral damage that takes place are far-reaching, unstoppable, and unending. Once a predator strikes, it’s simply too late. We have to stop these actions from happening to begin with through education, harsher consequences, and zero tolerance.”
For his full account of the experience, head to Variety.com.