No one took Rose McGowan's claims seriously; now everyone is listening

LOS ANGELES - Well before the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke, Rose McGowan was already, in her words, a "feminist whistleblowing badass."

For months, the actress had warned of a powerful Hollywood figure who had allegedly raped her. She railed against a casting call that asked her to wear a tight tank top "that shows off cleavage (push up bras encouraged)." She was subsequently dropped by her talent agency, and tweeted: "I just got fired by my wussy acting agent because I spoke up."

Few people took notice. Many dismissed them as the rantings of an actress relegated to the fringes of Hollywood. Now,