Rose McGowan Confirms Agent Sheila Wenzel Not Responsible For Firing Over Sexism Tweet
News that actress Rose McGowan had been fired from her agency, Innovative, following several outraged tweets regarding sexism in Hollywood auditions spread quickly online as thousands rose to defend and support the star. However, McGowan has reached out to confirm that long-standing agent Sheila Wenzel was not responsible for the decision and played no part in her removal.
Known for her roles in the WB drama Charmed Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, Rose McGowan lashed out over via Twitter following an audition that expressly requested women present their cleavage using push-up bras for the part. McGowan later revealed that the patronizing casting note was placed on an unspecified Adam Sandler movie that the starlet shamed for its sexist practice.
Following this, McGowan discovered she had been fired from her agency, taking to Twitter to announce the news, saying, “I just got fired by my wussy acting agent because I spoke up about the b******* in Hollywood”.
The Hollywood Reporter later revealed her agents to be Innovative Artists’ Sheila Wenzel and Steve Muller.
However, Rose has taken to social media to clarify that Wenzel played no part in Innovative’s decision to fire her, and had, in fact, left the company in the months prior to Thursday’s infamous tweet. McGowan described Wenzel as “a wonderful agent,” showing support for the Hollywood agent during this time of high publicity by saying “she’s a good, strong woman I’m proud to know.”
While Wenzel has yet to make a statement regarding McGowan being fired, quiet support has been shown as the agent retweeted Rose’s positive outburst saying, “The awesome thing about being an artist? You can’t be fired from your own mind.”
In a bid to restore their name amidst the controversy surrounding McGowan’s tweet, Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Maddison, has denied all responsibility for the offensive casting note. Variety reports that a source close to Sandler’s company stated that both Sandler and his team at Happy Maddison were not aware of patronizing parameters set in the casting note.
In a further statement, the source revealed, “[T]hey felt it was completely inappropriate and have made sure that it has not been sent out again.”
McGowan has received an outpour of support following her removal at Innovative from fans and peers alike. Jessica Chastain, known for her roles in Interstellar and The Help, responded to the controversy via Twitter, showing her support for McGowan’s strong stance against sexism in the industry.
As do I. Her treatment confirms the misogyny underpinning the industry. She should be celebrated for speaking out.? https://t.co/yUyO0LXkFd
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) June 25, 2015
[Image credit: Grant Lamos IV via Getty Images]
