The 'Descendants' director vehemently denies allegations suggesting that he groomed and lured the 'Charmed' actress into having sex when she was underage.

• Sep 5, 2020

AceShowbiz - Filmmaker Alexander Payne has shot down Rose McGowan's claims he performed a sexual act with her when she was only 15, insisting he's certain he never knew her when she was that young.

The former "Charmed" star chose to go public with sexual misconduct allegations against Payne last month (Aug20) in a series of tweets, later telling Variety "it was time."

The actress, who was one of the victims responsible for bringing down Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein, demanded an apology from Payne in a series of tweets, stating, "You sat me down & played a soft-core porn movie you directed for Showtime under a different name. I still remember your apartment in Silverlake. You are very well-endowed. You left me on a street corner afterwards. I just want an acknowledgement and an apology. I do not want to destroy."

Payne has now responded with a firm denial in a guest column for Deadline, insisting he won't be commenting further on the allegations.

"Rose McGowan and I have always had very cordial interactions, and I have admired her commitment to activism and her voice in an important, historic movement," he writes. "However, what she has said about me in recent social media posts is simply untrue."

"Rose is mistaken in saying we met when she was fifteen, in the late 1980s. I was a full-time film student at UCLA from 1984 until 1990, and I know that our paths never crossed."

"She claims that I showed her a 'soft-core porn movie' I had directed for Showtime 'under a different name'. This would have been impossible, since I had never directed anything professionally, lurid or otherwise. I have also never worked for Showtime or directed under any name other than my own."

"The Descendants" director goes on to explain he and Rose didn't meet until 1991 when she auditioned for a project he was making for a Playboy Channel series.

"Although she did not get the part, she left a note for me at the casting desk asking that I call her," he recalls. "I had no reason to question how old she was, since the role she read for required an actor who was of age. We later went out on a couple of dates and remained on friendly terms for years."

"While I cannot allow false statements about events twenty-nine years ago to go uncorrected, I will continue to wish only the best for Rose."