Rose McGowan arrived at the 1998 VMAs wearing a completely sheer, beaded dress with only a thong underneath. The image became one of the decade’s most controversial red carpet moments, but at the time, the personal meaning she attached to it was not public.
Years later, McGowan said it had been her first major public appearance after suffering a sexual assault, and that she had chosen the outfit as a political statement and a way to reclaim her body. She described her attitude with a question: “Is this what they want?”, and compared it to “Are you not entertained?” from Gladiator.
She also said she had never worn anything like it before and never did again. While the dress had that meaning for her, the media shamed her for wearing it.
