Reese Witherspoon Reveals She Was Sexually Assaulted as a Teenager in Hollywood
Stories of sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry have been making headlines over the past several days. Now, a new revelation has been made by "Big Little Lies" actress Reese Witherspoon, who admitted to being sexually assaulted in Hollywood at the young age of 16.
"This has been a really hard week for women in Hollywood, for women all over the world, and a lot of situations and a lot of industries are forced to remember and relive a lot of ugly truths," the 41-year-old actress said during her acceptance speech for the Elle Women in Hollywood event at the Beverly Hilton, E! News reports.
Admitting that she has her own experiences that always come back to haunt her and make her feel anxious and guilty for not speaking up about it earlier, she revealed: "I feel true disgust at the director who assaulted me when I was 16-years-old and anger at the agents and the producers who made me feel that silence was a condition of my employment."
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Witherspoon continued, "And 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, and I don't speak about them very often."
The "Big Little Lies" star also said that what made her decide to finally open up about her past experience is the bravery of all those who have bravely spoken up against producer Harvey Weinstein, who has sexually harassed more than 40 women over the years.
Some of the famous personalities who have accused Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment include Angelina Jolie, Lena Headey, Cara Delevingne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rose McGowan, and Minka Kelly. Witherspoon did not reveal the name of the said director who committed the sexual misconduct but hopes that the system in Hollywood will change, especially for women, who are often the subjects of harassment by people in power.
Also during the same event, "Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence reportedly revealed in a speech that there was a time when she was forced to take part in a "degrading and humiliating" lineup while in the nude, and was told to lose weight to enter the world of entertainment.
