Reese Witherspoon On Being Sexually Assaulted At 16: Confesses Feeling 'Guilt For Not Speaking Up Earlier'
Reese Witherspoon, in a recent interview, reveals feeling guilty of not sharing her experience of being sexually assaulted at 16, when she was supposed to. However, she adds that it could’ve sent her acting dreams for a toss
Not very long ago, Reese Witherspoon had accused a director of sexually assaulting her when she was just 16 years old and that she was asked by agents and producers to stay mum on it. Though the Cruel intentions star eventually gathered the courage to recall her horrific encounter, she often feels that she should have done it much before. She also ‘sadly’ admitted that it wasn’t an ‘isolated incident’ in her career. In her recent interview with The Guardian newspaper, the actress admitted feeling guilty for not opening up earlier on her ordeal of being sexually assaulted at the age of 16.
The actress also revealed that she has been through various such instances of being harassed and sexually assaulted. Reese Witherspoon was quoted as saying, “I wish I could tell you that was an isolated incident in my career but, sadly, it wasn't. I've had multiple experiences of harassment and sexual assault.” It was during the Elle Women in Hollywood event (2017) that Reese opened up on her encounter. However, the actress revealed that she is realistic enough to know that if she would have complained back when she was a teenager, her acting dreams would have gone for a toss. “Ummm no. It was a culture of silence and silence was a condition of my employment. That's what I was told,” added Reese.
Reese added that her past experiences have encouraged her to make sure that this doesn’t happen to other young women. “Determined not to let this happen to other young women. I’m so grateful to the women who spoke out about things in their past because I’m in a different position, obviously, but those women had nothing to gain, and some lost their jobs over it. They are the real heroes in my mind,” she said.
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image source: instagram/reesewitherspoon
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