After being shut out of Hollywood, Rose McGowan explains how she was forced to step away - and slowly rebuild her life on her own terms.
In this wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation, Rose speaks openly about her experiences in Hollywood, the cost of refusing to stay silent, and how leaving the industry became part of reclaiming her creativity, identity, and sense of self. Rose was one of the first to go public with claims of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein, and she explains how she was allegedly raped by the movie producer at the age of 23 - and what it cost her to speak out. She reflects on the severe personal and professional consequences that followed, and how power and silence are enforced inside closed systems.
Content warning: this conversation includes discussion of SA.
Rose joins Paul for one of her most honest conversations to date. From being raised in a cult in Italy to navigating Hollywood, she reflects on how early experiences shaped her instincts around control, belonging and survival. She also speaks about what came after: the unexpected support she found through fans and Comic-Con, stepping away from the US to recover in Mexico, reconnecting with creativity through music, and why reclaiming her real name - Rosa - feels like coming home.
She shares:
◽ What it was like growing up inside The Children of God
◽ Being alone at 13 and realising no one was looking for her
◽ Why speaking out about Harvey Weinstein meant career death
◽ What was really happening behind the scenes on Charmed
◽ The truth behind the VMA dress and what people misunderstood
◽ Nearly losing her life, leaving the US and starting again
◽ How fans, creativity and music helped bring her back to herself
Rose McGowan, We Need To Talk
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MIND: https://g2ul0.app.link/gbuRaxjM3Nb
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Website: https://www.rosemcg.com/
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00:00 Intro
02:23 How Does Rose Identify?
03:39 'The Children of God' and the Circumstances of Rose's Upbringing
04:31 How Do You Define a Cult?
06:47 Rose's Father and His Role Within 'The Children of God'
09:31 The Beginnings of Rose's Career in Performance
12:05 The British Court Ruling on 'The Children of God'
14:22 How Rose Left 'The Children of God' and Her First Experiences in the USA
19:32 Rose's Friction With Her Mother's Partners
22:42 Rose's Experience With Her Father in the USA
24:35 Rose's Perspective of Herself as a Teenager
26:12 Being Forced To Go To Rehab at 13
29:59 How Rose Left Rehab and What She Did Afterwards
33:22 Rose's Attraction to Performing
34:25 How Rose's Relationship With Her Father Developed During Adolescence
38:42 Paul Surprises Rose With a Photo
41:51 Adobe Express Ad
43:11 How and Why Rose Moved to Hollywood
52:19 Rose's First Featured Film Role
55:35 Rose's Early Experiences of Hollywood's Inner Workings
58:29 How Rose Met Harvey Weinstein
01:01:52 Rose Details Her Encounter With Harvey Weinstein
01:07:11 How Weinstein Covered His Tracks
01:16:45 Sexual Assault and Its Prevalence in Society
01:23:35 Rose's Relationship With Marilyn Manson
01:32:11 How Rose Joined Charmed
01:40:00 Fame During Charmed and How Rose Dealt With It
01:42:27 Rose's Relationship With Robert Rodriguez
01:49:47 What Led Rose to Activism and the MeToo Movement
01:59:24 How Rose Felt When Harvey Weinstein Was Convicted
02:03:39 Rose on Public Perception of Her
02:04:54 How and Why Rose Moved to Mexico
02:07:40 How Rose Bounced Back From Health Issues During Covid
02:08:17 Rose's Unexpected Entry Into the UK Music Scene
02:12:39 What Rose Would Tell Her 12-Year-Old Self
02:13:59 Most Memorable Conversation
02:18:34 Paul’s Takeaways
Sponsored by:
Adobe Express: https://ADOBE.LY/PAUL
Sync ID: MB01OEKSZ3W7SYM
Runtime 02:20:56
