Actress Rose McGowan waives appearance on drug charge

LEESBURG, Va. - (AP) -- Actress Rose McGowan has waived her appearance in court on a felony charge of cocaine possession.

McGowan had been expected to appear in a courtroom for her arraignment Thursday, but a judge agreed to waive her appearance at the request of her lawyer. The judge scheduled a preliminary hearing for Jan. 23, when McGowan is expected to enter a plea.

Prosecutors say cocaine was found among McGowan's belongings that were left on a Jan. 20 flight to Washington Dulles International Airport.

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

McGowan told The New Yorker that she waited months to respond to the arrest warrant because she was afraid she was being followed by people hired by Weinstein. She says she hired a private investigator to look into whether the warrant was real. She and her attorney have suggested the drugs could've been planted.