Right now, most of America is watching Dr Christine Blasey Ford testify in front of the senate about her accusation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school. Over the past week, in solidarity with Dr Ford, people have shared their own stories of unreported and reported sexual assault (an echo of the enduring #MeToo movement), including author and host Padma Lakshmi. Now, actress Busy Philipps has revealed on Instagram that she, too, is a survivor.
In a post on Thursday, Philipps shared a school photo of herself at 14 years old, the same year she says she was raped.
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"This is me at 14. The age I was raped," Philipps wrote. "It's taken me 25 years to say those words. I wrote about it in my book. I finally told my parents and sister about it 4 months ago. Today is the day we are silent no more. All of us. I'm scared to post this. I can't imagine what Dr. Ford is feeling right now."
Questioning for Ford has included recounting specific, sensitive details that have haunted her from the alleged incident, including: "The stairwell. The living room. The bedroom. The bed on the right side of the room ... the bathroom in close proximity. The laughter. The uproarious laughter. And the multiple attempts to escape. And the final ability to do so." These details have been met with both sympathy and scrutiny as she undergoes questioning from both Democratic senators and prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, who often spoke for the majority all-male Republicans in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
A rep for Philipps had no further comment to add to her post, but a larger account of the incident reportedly appears in her upcoming memoir This Will Only Hurt A Little, out 16th October.
If you have experienced sexual violence of any kind, please visit Rape Crisis or call 0808 802 9999.