America Ferrera has made the heartbreaking revelation that she was sexually assaulted as a young girl. The Ugly Betty star, 33, broke her silence on Instagram and Twitter as part of the #MeToo movement, in which women around the world are sharing their stories of sexual abuse. She wrote: "Me too. First time I can remember being sexually assaulted I was 9 years old. I told no one and lived with the shame and guilt thinking all along that I, a 9 year old child, was somehow responsible for the actions of a grown man.
"I had to see this man on a daily basis for years to come. He would smile at me and wave, and I would hurry past him, my blood running cold, my guts carrying the burden of what only he & I knew – that he expected me to shut my mouth and smile back." She concluded her post by urging women to break the silence for the next generation of girls.
© Photo: Getty Images"First time I can remember being sexually assaulted I was 9 years old," America admitted
Women and female celebrities around the world have been sharing their own harrowing stories of sexual assault and harassment on social media. The #MeToo movement comes after scores of women made allegations against disgraced Hollywood director Harvey Weinstein. Former Charmed actress Rose McGowan has alleged that Harvey raped her, while Ashley Judd and Gwyneth Paltrow have also accused the movie mogul of sexual misconduct.
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The Hollywood scandal came to light earlier this month, when the New York Times published an expose in which eight women spoke out against Harvey. The paper also reported that the 65-year-old director had reached private settlements with eight women. Harvey's wife Georgina Chapman, co-founder of fashion label Marchesa, has since announced that she is leaving him. The father-of-five is believed to have checked into The Meadows rehab in Arizona, where he is being treated for sex addiction.
