Maze Runner actress Kaya Scodelario admitted that she was initially afraid to share her sexual assault story back in October. Now, months into the #MeToo moment, she sees why it was so important that she did.
The actress, who rose to fame on the U.K. teen drama Skins, tweeted in October that she was sexually assaulted at the age of 12. In an interview with Metro, Scodelario stated that, despite her initial fears of what coming forward could mean, she got "closure" from doing so:
"The response was wonderful. It was a relief but I am still dealing with it, and I am now dealing with a new side of it, which is [that] I will be asked about it forever now," the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales actress told the publication.
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She added that, like so many people who have come forward during the #MeToo moment, she chose to speak out to help others feel less afraid to do so.
"I remember thinking that if I was 12 years old and I had this horrific thing happen to me but I saw a woman I admired speaking up about it, it would have made me feel less guilty, and it would have inspired me to think 'this won’t hold me back, this is something that has happened but I am not a victim,'" the star told Metro.
Scodelario is just one of many actresses to come forward about their experiences with sexual misconduct. At the Women's March in New York City, singer Halsey recited a personal poem about her own experience with sexual abuse in her teens. Famous In Love star Bella Thorne revealed that she was a survivor of sexual abuse from a young age as well.
No matter how long it takes someone to say #MeToo, as Scodelario points out, the voices of many can help shift the tide away from survivors feeling guilt and fear to one where abusers are held accountable for their actions.
If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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