Vanessa Williams and Childhood Sexual Abuse
Vanessa Williams has spoken out publicly about the terrible sexual abuse she endured as a young girl. The "Desperate Housewives" actress spoke about her horrifying experiences to People magazine, but insisted that she has not allowed it to hold back her life.
Telling People about the molestation that she suffered at just 10 years of age, Williams said that the experiences "didn't paralyze me, and I don't dwell."
The actress has also explained in detail what happened to her in her soon-to-be-released memoir, "You Have No Idea."
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Williams explained that she was visiting family friends in California, including a young woman called Susan, who was 18 at the time. The actress described how the teenager came to her in the middle of the night while she was sleeping.
As Susan began interfering with her Williams recalls how she challenged, "What are you doing?' I asked. 'Don't worry - it'll feel good.' I lay there paralyzed. What was I going to do?"
She kept the incident a secret for years even though she testifies that the effects of what happened came to her immediately. She wrote, "After that trip I felt something change in me. I had always been defiant but I became a bit more rebellious. I began to pull away from my parents."
Williams has also gone on to be more protective of her own children, raising them to understand and know what to look for if anything was potentially happening to them. She explained to People, "I was verbal about it so they knew what to look for."
The "Desperate Housewives" actress also spoke about the Penthouse scandal that resulted in her losing her Miss America crown in 1984. She now reflects that this was part of her journey to coming to where she is today, "When my kids have asked about Miss America, those photos, or any other part of my life, I told them what I always tell them - the truth."
"After all, it was part of my journey that led me to them and to where I am today," she concluded.
