Who Is Rain Dove? The Nonbinary Model at the Center of Controversy

When Rose McGowan released a statement on Monday regarding accusations of statutory rape against fellow #MeToo activist Asia Argento, she mentioned another figure: gender-nonconforming model Rain Dove. McGowan wrote that she's dating Dove, and that her new partner (who uses the pronoun "they") was the person who leaked incriminating messages from Argento regarding her alleged sexual encounter with a male minor.

"Rain Dove said that they were going to go to the police with these texts once we were done speaking no matter what," McGowan wrote. "But that they wanted me to be aware of them so that I may be able to take further actions. I responded with "You have to. You must." I wasted no time. It wasn't hard to say or support. What was hard was the shell shock of the realisation that everything the MeToo movement stood for was about to be in jeopardy. An hour after our conversation was finished Rain Dove confirmed that they had turned over the texts and were in conversation with officers. Almost 48 hours later the texts were in the press.

So who is Dove? They have been a fixture in the fashion world for a few years now, modeling for both men's and women's clothing.

"I look like what we have taught society a lesbian looks like. I just do. I have the short hair, I got the muscles." Dove told The Advocate in 2015. "I am a 100 percent determined to be a Victoria's Secret model. I have the tits and I have the height and I can walk in high heels... I am female genitalia'd and I don't look like that classic girl next door that you see in the movies, but why can't I be?"

Although Dove is yet to model for VS, they've done runway shows presenting as both male and female, and done print work for Kenneth Cole. They also scored covers of Gay Times and Diva. Before their career as their model, they studied genetic engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a firefighter.

Meanwhile, Dove has made a name for themselves challenging gender norms and the censorship of bodies.

Dove's activism expanded to defending victims of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement. After Argento was accused of paying off actor Jimmy Bennett after allegedly committing statutory rape, they posted, "Friend, family, acquaintance it doesn't matter when it comes to justice- you do not get special treatment."

It's believed that Dove has been dating McGowan since the summer, when photographs of them kissing in New York City emerged. Dove obliquely commented on their relationship with McGowan, who's faced criticism for her role in the #MeToo movement.

In her statement, McGowan said that Dove grew close to Argento after the Italian actress's boyfriend, the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, died by suicide. McGowan, Dove, and Argento took a trip to Berlin together. After, Dove and Argento kept in contact.

McGowan says Argento texted to Dove that she had indeed had sex with the underage Bennett and now those texts have been handed over to the police (and released on TMZ). McGowan also claimed Dove told her Argento received nude pictures from Bennett since he was 12. Although they were unsolicited, Argento never told him to stop sending them or took action to make it stop, McGowan claims via Dove.

McGowan said Dove felt compelled to share the messages with the authorities, choosing justice for sexual abuse victims over personal friendship.

Dove has announced on Twitter that they will release a statement tomorrow.