Natalie Portman is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Starring in some of the biggest productions of all time, with some examples being her work in projects like Black Swan, The Star Wars franchise, and No Strings Attached, as well as her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Jane Foster, through which, she has made a name for herself as an extremely dedicated and skilled actress. She has also won an Academy Award in the category of Best Actress for her work in Black Swan.
The highly respected and talented actress has been called out by a MeToo movement activist, Rose McGowan, a number of times in the past couple of years. The calling out started with the Oscar-winning actress wearing a dress at the 2020 Oscars ceremony, and went on till she wrote about how much she hated Portman in her memoir.
Also Read: Natalie Portman Net Worth – How Much Did She Earn From Marvel and Star Wars?
Natalie Portman’s Dress Infuriated Rose McGowan
At the 2020 Oscars ceremony, Natalie Portman wore a dress that was embroidered with the names of female filmmakers who were passed over for nominations in the category of Best Director. While many were impressed with the very clear stance that the actress took, the same could not be said for Rose McGowan best known for her speaking out against the disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, who offered $1 million in hush money if she signed a nondisclosure agreement that would have prevented her from speaking out against him.
She went onto her Facebook account to express her feelings on the matter. She expressed that she was unimpressed at the amount of attention that this was getting as an actual protest does not get positive mainstream attention.
“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.” said Portman, 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 … Unfortunately, the unmade films I have tried to make are a ghost history.”
Upon hearing the sentiment that was shared by McGowan, Portman gave her own thoughts on the matter, according to The Guardian. The actress started by saying that she completely agreed with what the Scream actress was saying, adding that there was nothing ‘brave’ about what she did, adding that this word should be better associated with people like McGowan, who spoke up against a monster like Harvey Weinstein and his actions that affected many.
This Wasn’t The End Of It
One would assume that after Natalie Portman’s statement replying to these comments, it would be the end of this matter, however, this was not the case. Rose McGowan wrote a memoir called Brave, where she spoke about her experience with Harvey Weinstein. Here she singled out the Oscar-winning actress, talking about how she did not agree with her type of activism. McGowan went on, adding that Portman and actresses like her were the problem.
“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.”
She elaborated on this, stating that she and people like her have, according to her, the tendency to act like they are in support of other women. In reality, McGowan does not think that this is the case and their intentions are selfish, trying to convey that Portman’s feminism is performative.
