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Asia Argento threatens Rose McGowan with legal action over 'horrendous lies'

Asia Argento and Rose McGowan taking part in a MeToo march as part of International Women's Day in Rome in 2018: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images
Asia Argento and Rose McGowan taking part in a MeToo march as part of International Women's Day in Rome in 2018: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images

Asia Argento has threatened Rose McGowan with legal action over a statement she made regarding the sexual assault accusations Argento faces from a male actor.

Argento has been a prominent figure in the #MeToo movement, having been one of the first people to make allegations against disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein.

However, she has since been accused herself of sexual assault by actor Jimmy Bennett, who alleges that she had sex with him at a hotel in California in 2013, when he was 17 and she was 37. The legal age of consent in California is 18.

The 42-year-old allegedly settled a legal case filed by Bennett, who is now 22, last year, paying him $380,000 (£294,000). Argento said the money was paid by her late boyfriend Anthony Bourdain, the TV chef who died earlier this year. She initially denied Bennett’s claim that they had sex, however her lawyer Mark Heller has since said that Bennett was the one who sexually assaulted her.

McGowan, another Weinstein accuser and prominent voice in the #MeToo movement, responded to the allegations by saying that there “absolutely should be no leeway or tolerance for sexual assault” and called on Argento to “be the person you wish Harvey could have been”.

Argento has since posted to social media lamenting the statement and demanding McGowan retract the “horrendous lies” made against her, adding: “If you fail to address this libel I will have no option other than to take immediate legal action.”

She followed up the Tweet a day later by saying she was seeking “substantial damages” for alleged “deception, fraud, coercion and libel”.

McGowan previously said the revelations should not be allowed to impact the current movements against sexual assault and called on Argento to “do the right thing. Be honest. Be fair. Let justice stay its course”.

Los Angeles police are now investigating the claims after it emerged that a report had not been filed with them at the time of the alleged encounter. Argento and Bennett first met while filming the The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things in 2004, which she also directed.

McGowan has not yet responded to Argento’s social media post. The Independent has contacted both McGowan and Argento for comment.