Rose McGowan caused quite a stir in 1998 when she showed up to the MTV Video Music Awards with her then-beau Marilyn Manson in a revealing sheer, beaded dress. In the 20 years since McGowan's nearly nude carpet strut, it's been recognized as one of the most infamous red carpet looks of all time.

But according to McGowan, she wasn't trying to make a pop culture moment; she wanted to make a statement — a "political statement" against the now-disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who McGowan claimed sexually assaulted her in 1997. (Weinstein has denied the accusation.)

"That was my first public appearance after being sexually assaulted. I was like, 'Is this what you want?'" McGowan revealed on the Dr. Oz Show. "I've never worn something like that before or since. That was a political statement. Of course, there was no Twitter at the time or Instagram, no way to speak for yourself."

McGowan has been anything but silent while promoting her candid new memoir, Brave, in recent weeks. The no-holds-barred account details her assault and the years she spent "suffering from a mental disorder called Hollywood."