Rose McGowan plans 'not guilty' plea to airport drugs charge

Actress at centre of Harvey Weinstein sexual assault allegations picked up for possession of controlled substance in Virginia days after story broke

Rose McGowan (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Actress Rose McGowan says she'll plead not guilty when she's arraigned on Thursday on a drug charge outside Washington.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority says McGowan surrendered to Airports Authority Police on Tuesday. She's charged with possession of a controlled substance.

The felony charge stems from what prosecutors say was cocaine found among McGowan's personal belongings left behind on a 20 January flight to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

McGowan is among several actresses who've said movie mogul Harvey Weinstein forced them into unwanted sex, something Weinstein has denied.

McGowan tells The New Yorker that even though the warrant was issued on 1 February, she didn't respond to it for months out of fear that she was being followed by people hired by Weinstein. She says she hired a private investigator to investigate whether the warrant was real.

AP