RoseMcGowan, a prominent #MeToo activist and former close pal of Asia Argento, has said that she feels “betrayed” by the Italian actress and director over allegations she had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old boy.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Argento was accused of sexual assault by a then-17-year old Jimmy Bennett, who had previously co-starred with her as a young child actor. Bennett claimed that he had a sexual encounter with Argento in a Los Angeles-area hotel room in 2013, when he was only 17, and after she fed him alcohol.

In a statement to a reporter, Argento denied she had a sexual relationship with Bennett, but admitted that she and her late boyfriend Anthony Bourdain paid the young actor a settlement, in the interest of protecting their privacy. Bennett’s letter of intent to sue Argento was sent in November 2017, a month after Argento was quoted in a damning New Yorker investigative report revealing widespread sexual assault allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Since that time, McGowan and Argento appeared to have bonded over their shared trauma as fellow alleged victims of Weinstein, and McGowan publicly supported Argento after the suicide death of her boyfriend Anthony Bourdain, defending her friend against online chatter suggesting that Argento’s alleged infidelity may have contributed to the tragedy. And when the sexual assault allegations against Argento first surfaced, McGowan posted a Twitter message advising her followers to be “gentle” in their response to the allegations.

The day after Argento issued her denial, TMZ published screenshots of a text message exchange purportedly between Argento and an unidentified friend, in which Argento appeared to admit that she had sex with Bennett.

“I had sex with him it felt weird,” read one message purportedly written by Argento. “I didn’t know he was a minor until the shakedown letter.”

McGowan now appears to be breaking rank with Argento. The former Charmed star was in London on Tuesday morning doing interviews ahead of her acceptance of the GQ Men of the Year Inspiration Award — and is the first woman to receive it.

McGowan described the allegations against Argento as a “horrible situation” and said she felt “betrayed” by Argento for allegedly “lying” in her denial of the allegations against her.

In an appearance on Good Morning Britain, according to the Deadline report, McGowan said “if we’re going to look for beauty in this really horrible situation,” it shows that “boys have voices too.”

“#MeToo is not just for women, I’ve had so many men share their stories of abuse,” McGowan reportedly said.

“…it’s never happened before in history and people are freaking out and trying to analyse and crunch the data, my response is to let it breathe, let people have their voice