In 1998, Rowena was sexually assaulted by Weinstein at the Venice Film Festival, and was coerced into signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which silenced her for over twenty years. In 2017, a New York Times journalist came to her home and doorstepped her husband of over a decade, revealing information about the assault and NDA.

Rowena was featured in the subsequent NYT investigation, but she insisted on remaining anonymous. In 2019, she finally broke her story on the NBC Today Show, live in front of three million viewers. Rowena's story has featured in both the book and the movie, SHE SAID. She has given over 700 media interviews across four continents, for international news outlets such as: ABC, BBC, CBS, and NBC. She has testified at the House Of Commons, the Massachusetts State House, and the State Of The Union. 

During this Beacon Lecture Rowena will address the troubling dynamics faced by personal assistants, particularly in the celebrity sphere, as highlighted by the recent case of Kenneth Iwamasa, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy in connection with the death of his employer, Matthew Perry. Drawing from her own experience as an assistant to Harvey Weinstein, Rowena will explore the power imbalances and ethical dilemmas that often ensnare assistants, who are frequently treated as expendable accessories rather than individuals with agency. She will discuss the psychological ramifications of this relationship, where assistants are expected to navigate a precarious line between loyalty and complicity. By examining the systemic issues that enable such toxic dynamics, Rowena aims to shed light on the urgent need for accountability and support for those in these vulnerable positions, urging a reevaluation of how we perceive and treat Administrative Professionals in high-stakes environments.

She is writing a memoir, a novel, and a screenplay, in addition to working as a global #MeToo activist, advocating for the rights of those who are oppressed or voiceless, in churches, schools, universities and workplaces around the world.