Speaking out: Rose McGowan says she was assaulted by Harvey Weinstein. Photo: AP

Harvey Weinstein and Rose McGowan at an after party for the 'Grindhouse' movie première in Los Angeles in 2007 Photo: Jeff Vespa/WireImage

Rose McGowan, the Harvey Weinstein accuser who is facing a drugs charge, could have had cocaine planted in her luggage, her lawyer has suggested.

The actress said she will deny the charge brought after police alleged the drug was found in her belongings left on a flight into Washington Dulles International Airport.

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The 44-year-old handed herself into police in nearby Loudoun County, Virginia, on Tuesday after an arrest warrant was issued.

She told the New Yorker “I will clearly plead not guilty”, while the magazine reported her lawyer Jim Hundley had argued the drugs could have been planted.

“Depending on when and where the wallet was lost, individuals other than Ms McGowan had access to the wallet for somewhere between approximately five hours 40 minutes and more than 11 hours,” he wrote to the Loudoun County prosecutor Jim Plowman.

@united I forgot my wallet in seat 6L on flight 653 tonight. I need help finding it asap please. — Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) January 21, 2017

Expand Close Harvey Weinstein and Rose McGowan at an after party for the 'Grindhouse' movie première in Los Angeles in 2007 Photo: Jeff Vespa/WireImage / Facebook

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Whatsapp Harvey Weinstein and Rose McGowan at an after party for the 'Grindhouse' movie première in Los Angeles in 2007 Photo: Jeff Vespa/WireImage

McGowan said she had left her bag containing her wallet unattended during the January flight and filed a lost-luggage claim after noticing it was missing while waiting at baggage claim, and also tweeted to United Airlines.

The Planet Terror and Scream star previously suggested the warrant was an attempt to “silence” her after she became one of dozens of women to publicly accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault.

Are they trying to silence me? There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSESHIT. — Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) October 30, 2017

She alleged she had been raped by Weinstein after The New York Times published its bombshell investigation detailing claims of sexual harassment and abuse.

The newspaper reported that Weinstein paid her a 100,000 dollar (£76,000) settlement in 1997 to “avoid litigation and buy peace” over an incident in a hotel room during the Sundance Film Festival.

The 65-year-old producer has “unequivocally denied” allegations of non-consensual sex.

Police are investigating in Los Angeles, New York and in the UK, where seven women have told officers they were sexually assaulted by Weinstein between the 1980s and 2015.

Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Lupita Nyong’o were among the high-profile actresses who came forward to publicly accuse him of sexual harassment.

McGowan was bailed on a 5,000 US dollar (£3,800) bond and is due to appear in court on Thursday.

PA Media