Natalie Portman responded Wednesday to a lengthy attack from Rose McGowan, acknowledging the criticism had some merit but also pushing back in some ways.
“I agree with Ms. McGowan that it is inaccurate to call me ‘brave’ for wearing a garment with women’s names on it,” Portman said in a statement provided to TheWrap. “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.”
McGowan went after Portman in a scathing Facebook post on Tuesday, just two days after Portman appeared at the Oscars with the names of overlooked female directors embroidered into her Dior cape.
“The kind of protest that gets rave reviews from the mainstream media for its bravery. Brave? No, not by a long shot. More like an actress acting the part of someone who cares. As so many of them do,” wrote McGowan, who has spent much of her time in the last few years speaking out against disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein as he faces criminal charges for sexual assault and other felony counts.
In her response, Portman also reacted to McGowan’s statements about her production company and the fact that Portman is the only female director credited on any of its eight films.
“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 – I’ve made shorts, commercials, music videos and features with Marya Cohen, Mira Nair, Rebecca Zlotowski, Anna Rose Holmer, Sofia Coppola, Shirin Neshat and myself,” she said. “Unfortunately, the unmade films I have tried to make are a ghost history.”
She concluded, “So I want to say, I have tried, and I will keep trying. While I have not yet been successful, I am hopeful that we are stepping into a new day.”