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Rose McGowan reverses criticism of Streep over Weinstein allegations, says 'thank you'

(CNN) Rose McGowan, the former actress who accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, praised Meryl Streep for her response to the Weinstein allegations in an interview with CNN Wednesday, tempering her biting criticism of the Hollywood actress.

In a now deleted tweet from December, McGowan hit out at Streep after learning she would participate in the "Time's Up" initiative at the Golden Globes, claiming Streep had known of Weinstein's alleged criminal behavior.

"Actresses, like Meryl Streep, who happily worked for The Pig Monster, are wearing black @goldenglobes in a silent protest," McGowan tweeted. "YOUR SILENCE is THE problem. You'll accept a fake award breathlessly & affect no real change. I despise your hypocrisy."

Streep reacted to Rose's criticism in an interview with Christiane Amanpour in early January.

"I'm sure in many ways she wished I knew. What happened to Rose is unbearable. And it sticks a knife in everyone's heart that this man was allowed to continue in his -- the way he worked on people, over the bodies of women," Streep said. "He made a business over the bodies of women."

Streep said that she had "nothing but empathy" for McGowan.

"I think she and so many of the women who've stepped forward -- Annabella, Mira Sorvino, Asia Argento. These -- we owe them a debt of gratitude because they've changed the 21st century. They really have."

Hearing that response during an interview with Amanpour on Wednesday, McGowan softened her stance.

"I would thank her for that," McGowan said. "Thank you, Meryl Streep, for that."

"When I fired off that tweet, people think it's me raging -- it was me turned in and crying. Because I had to see, you see, her call him God. So it's not that I'm sure I wish she knew. It's more that it was part of their propaganda because everyone knew he wasn't."

(Meryl Streep referred to Weinstein as "God" at the 2011 Academy Awards, saying: "I just want to thank my agent, Kevin Huvane, and God, Harvey Weinstein.")

"If you didn't know specifically it was about sexual assault, he's not a good man," McGowan said. "Never has been, never was. Not at all. When someone calls him God, it reinforces his power to him. So, again, I'm talking about the establishment. And I praise her for what she said, and I thank her and it means a lot to me. I hope we all heal, I hope we all do."

McGowan has begun a publicity tour promoting her new book, "Brave," which details Weinstein's alleged assault against her at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival for the first time.

Weinstein has denied all allegations of sexual impropriety and assault and, in a statement to CNN provided by his attorney, Ben Brafman, said he "denies Rose McGowan's allegations of nonconsensual sexual contact and it is erroneous and irresponsible to conflate claims of inappropriate behavior and consensual sexual contact later regretted, with an untrue claim of rape."

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