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From the big screen to sports: Hollywood A-listers talk sexual assault

hollywood October 18, 2017
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I’m getting tired of reading and writing about these stories, not because they aren’t important (they are) but because it’s sickening how common and prevalent sexual assault is.

In less-than-shocking news, Jennifer Lawrence and McKayla Maroney have both come out with their own stories of sexual harassment and misconduct.

Jennifer Lawrence shared the details of her own experience in Hollywood that have been described as “harrowing” by various media outlets. Lawrence was exposed to sexual assault and body-shaming in her early days of being an actress.

“One girl before me had already been fired for not losing enough weight fast enough,” she told Elle.

“And, during this time, a female producer had me do a nude lineup with about five women who were much, much thinner than me. And we all stood side-by-side with only paste-ons covering our privates. After that degrading and humiliating lineup, the female producer told me I should use the naked photos of myself as inspiration for my diet.”

Lawrence described the time as, “feeling trapped.”

“I asked to speak to a producer about the unrealistic diet regime and he responded by telling me he didn’t know why everyone thought I was so fat, he thought I was perfectly ‘fuckable.'”

McKaya Maroney, former gold medal Olympic Gymnast turned music artist, also spoke about her own terrifying encounter. Joining the #MeToo movement, Maroney went on to post a long document calling out former USA Gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar as her rapist.

Nassar has been accused of sexual misconduct by 100 women within the past year. Maroney says it started at the age of 13, and then goes on to recall being 15 years old and drugged with a sleeping pill during her flight, “The next thing I know, I was all alone with him in his hotel room getting a ‘treatment.’ I thought I was going to die that night,” she writes.

Why did it take these women so long to come forward with these accusations? Lawrence explained it perfectly in her interview:

“I didn’t want to be a whistleblower. I didn’t want these embarrassing stories talked about in a magazine. I just wanted a career.”

Thankfully, both Lawrence and Maroney have a huge support system, with celebrities and fans showing their encouragement for coming forward.

https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/920398517608226817

https://twitter.com/emmyrossum/status/920438045815472128

https://twitter.com/emmyrossum/status/920438095614537729

https://twitter.com/emmyrossum/status/920438436548530176

https://twitter.com/RichelleCarey/status/920557111230132225

Women everywhere have been living in silence too long about these assault experiences, and as heartbreaking as it is to revisit these moments, it’s more important now than ever to support our women in the fight against sexual harassment.

No one should have to be body-shamed and treated with disrespect.

Let’s hope that there’s a very bright side to all of this and that those affected recover and come back stronger.

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