Rose McGowan’s Manager Ends Life After Weinstein Scandal

Jill Messick, who used to be Rose McGowan’s manager, and who also worked for Harvey Weinstein’s Miramax Films, committed suicide this week. Her family said she was battling depression and bipolar disorder.

Messick was caught in the Harvey Weinstein scandal. She had represented McGowan and had set up a meeting with her and Weinstein at a hotel. McGowan has alleged that Weinstein raped her at that meeting

Following the meeting, McGowan told Messick what had happened — that she made the decision to remove her clothes and get in the hot tub with him — a mistake which McGowan immediately regretted. McGowan never once used the word rape in that conversation,” Messick’s family said. “Despite this, Jill recognized that Harvey had done something untoward to Rose, if not illegal. She immediately went to her bosses.” 

Messick's complaint laid the groundwork for the settlement McGowan reached with Weinstein. However, Messick was never part of these negotiations, said her family. Recently, McGowan brought up Messick's name in the media. This led Weinstein to leak emails between Ben Affleck and Messick showing how she had emailed him about the incident saying that she didn’t recall McGowan accusing Weinstein of rape.

Messick's family has criticised McGowan, Weinstein and the media for dragging her name into “new culture of unlimited information sharing and a willingness to accept statement as fact” and the “devastating” toll it took on her

The family also said that Messick didn’t fight against McGowan’s slanderous statements against her for fear of undermining the many individuals who came forward in truth.

Here are some statements they wrote in the letter: 

"She opted not to add to the feeding frenzy, allowing her name and her reputation to be sullied despite having done nothing wrong," her family said in the letter. 

"The speed of disseminating information has carried mistruths about Jill as a person, which she was unable and unwilling to challenge. She became collateral damage in an already horrific story."

"What makes Rose’s inaccurate accusations and insinuations against Jill ironic was that she was the first person who stood up on Rose’s behalf, and alerted her bosses to the horrific experience which Rose suffered. Twenty years ago, as a very junior person in a management company hierarchy, Jill exhibited her integrity in doing the right thing — she raised the red flag with the heads of her firm. In the face of inappropriate behavior, Jill handled the situation appropriately."

Also Read: Rose McGowan Slams Meryl Streep For Wearing Black At Golden Globes

Picture Credit: Buzzfeed