The New York Times reports that Asia Argento, an actress who accused Harvey Weinstein of abusing her and became a prominent spokeswoman for the MeToo movement, paid $380,000 to Jimmy Bennet, a former child actor, to hush up a sexual encounter they had when he was just 17 years old (statutory rape under California laws). Argento has yet to comment on the story, but if it’s true, it bears an eerie resemblance to the playbook favored by Weinstein: preying on a younger, vulnerable actor; luring him to a hotel room, ostensibly to discuss work, where she plied him with alcohol and coerced him into sex. If Asia Argento were a man and the 17-year-old actor was a girl, no one would hesitate to call their alleged encounter what it was. Twitter denunciations from hashtag activists and celebrities would pour forth, reminding us to #believewomen.
And yet, when the Argento news broke, celebrity-turned-MeToo activist Rose McGowan tweeted:
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