Penn Badgley Says He Was "Molested" by Gossip Girl Fans, Apologizes

Gossip Girl alum Penn Badgley married Domino Kirke early last year, and now he’s starring in a new series.

Unfortunately, while doing press for this new show, he put his foot in his mouth in the worst way — appearing to make light of people who have been molested.

Penn has come forward and apologized.

Penn Badgley, who played Daniel Humphrey on the legendary CW series, Gossip Girl, is set to star in a new Lifetime series, You.

In this series, he will play a stalker. He was quick to connect that such a predatory fictional character relates to real life predators.

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Penn Badgley says that he hopes that his show will help people have “necessary conversations” in the wake of #MeToo.

“I think it’s significant that a show like this is coming out now,” Penn says.

Clearly, he is not equating his show with #MeToo — just drawing an accurate connection.

This is where he begins to put his foot into his mouth, and it’s all about one word choice.

“I think as an actor you can become an object of desire,” Penn says. “Which is something women are already accustomed to more or less around the world.”

He is totally right about that, and it’s good that he acknowledges that this is already the case for countless women.

Then Penn says: “I mean, I don’t want to sound sensationalist, but I’ve literally been molested — just in the literal sense of the word — by many people in the moment. Because that’s what they do.”

Oh no!

Penn also gave a shoutout to Terry Crews as one of the men who came forward with a #MeToo story, but we’ll get to that in a second.

Penn very clearly means one of the literal definitions of molested — meaning to be bothered. He is speaking of people intruding into his life because of his fame.

Folks, especially when you’re discussing #MeToo but really at any time, use whichever word is most accurate and clear for the message that you are trying to convey.

Say that your privacy was violated or your personhood was disrespected or that you were objectified or simply that you were bothered.

Don’t say “molested” when you mean one of those things. Some people, actors included, have actually been molested — groped and worse.

Penn Badgley did not mean to make light of people who have actually been molested, and issued a clarification to Us Weekly.

“The point of my comment was not to confess a personal trauma,” Penn explains.

Penn continues: “I was speaking about the way emotional and physical boundaries are violated for someone in the public eye, who is seen as an object of desire.”

“Depending on so many factors, it can range from conscious abuse to something very unconscious,” he tries to clarify.

“And that is the point I was making, cautiously,” he says. “In the context of a conversation about fanaticism and cultural norms which support manipulative or abusive behavior.”

“These are the same norms which support predatory men, but not exclusively predatory men,” Penn concludes. “They affect, and infect, us all.”

That very cerebral clarification was great, but he could have avoided this entire situation by just making a better choice with his diction the first time around.

But we get it. And Penn is a good person, clearly. As we mentioned, his original interview included a shout-out to Terry Crews’ sexual assault and to the backlash that Crews is currently facing from powerful people in the entertainment industry.

Penn points out that men who have been groped or assaulted face challenges that are different than those that women face, because of societal standards.

“You’re led as a man, particularly, that when it happens you should feel great about it,” Penn says of men who have been sexually assaulted.

To be clear, he is not saying that men have it worse — simply that society treats men differently than it treats women over this issue.

In Crews’ case, people responded that he should have used violence against the predator.

That is a shameful piece of victim-blaming that ignores the consequences that Crews would have faced.

Many other men are simply told that they should be grateful.

“Particularly,” Penn notes. “When it comes from someone who’s feasibly an object of your desire as well.”

In other words, there are men who have been groped or even raped and, because the perpetrator was a woman or even a beautiful woman, they are told that they should feel flattered.

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Jessica Willis: My Father Toby Willis Molested Me Since I Was 3 Years Old

In 2016, The Willis Clan star Toby Willis was arrested for child-rape. It was immediately suspected that the deeply religious father of 12 homeschooled children had raped his own child.

Jessica Willis, his oldest child, is speaking out about her father, who is thankfully serving a lengthy sentence in prison for the horrors that he perpetrated upon his family.

Jessica, now 26 and married, is opening up for the first time about her father’s sexual and physical abuse.

In a heartbreaking post to her website, Jessica Willis details her father’s abuse.

“As far back as I can remember, I was sexually abused by my father.”

She’s not exaggerating, either.

“I figure I was around three years old in some of the earliest memories.”

Horrifying.

“Initially, I had no way to know that anything was wrong. When I did eventually come to realize the fact, I had no way to accurately express what was happening to me.”

This is not uncommon at all in abuse victims. Many survivors also find it difficult to speak because they instinctively fear retaliation.

“There followed immense shame, distrust and hurt throughout my childhood — even in the happy times. Thus ran the two parallel storylines that became my life.”

Like countless children who endure abuse, she felt that what was happening was wrong, but did not fully question it.

That changed when she was 9 and her mother asked her some questions about how her father acted, to which she responded by nodding her head.

After that, she heard her mother raise her voice to her father for the first time.

“I didn’t understand that my father simply denied any wrongdoing and became more secretive and dangerous from then on.”

Pro-tip: if you suspect that your spouse is molesting or otherwise abusing your child, go to the police, not to your spouse.

Things did not get better for Jessica from that point on.

Over time, her father tightened his grip on his growing family.

“Suffice  it to say my father controlled the family in every single area of life.”

Even when they became reality stars, they were no safer than before.

“Underneath the outward foundations of family, religion and homeschooling with an emphasis in the arts, there was a constant current of manipulation, domination, fear, and favor.”

Like countless children who grow up under those circumstances, she could not conceive that her life could be different or better.

“There was very little room inside the bubble of my world to imagine that there was any alternative.”

Like countless abuse survivors, reflecting upon her childhood fills her with disgust.

“Looking back now, it’s almost impossible to face the fact of what my life once used to be.”

When you are living through trauma like this, your mind conjures up coping mechanisms that “help” you to adapt to the unspeakable.

“Many things were normal for me that  should have never been met with anything other than outrage.”

“The abuse  developed and ebbed at various intervals over the years and into puberty.”

Over time, he seemed to lose some interest in sexually abusing her.

“The most graphic sexual abuse faded off for me when I was around seventeen years old but many inappropriate actions and attentions continued.”

She came to the grim realization that she was not his only victim.

“I feel like I truly knew that certain other members of my family were being sexually abused and I felt they knew this about me too. Conversations were had, tears were cried and we questioned how to ‘deal’  with the ‘situation."”

She was almost 23 before something happened that caused the coping mechanisms that she had developed begin to break down.

“I came into my hotel room that night to find  my mother and some of my sisters sitting on the bed crying with that look on their face I had seen so many times before.”

Sometimes, it takes one event to shatter the denial.

“The coldest, blackest pit opened up in my stomach because no words needed to be said for me to know something had happened.”

Some survivors are haunted by needless guilt and the feeling that they failed to protect their younger siblings from suffering as they suffered. It is never their fault.

“How was I here again? I could not stay in denial about my past because it obviously wasn’t staying in the past even though at times I had tried so hard to forgive and forget.”

Part of what makes PTSD so difficult is the P — for post. Everything that you’ve been denying just to survive comes back to you. Even if you aren’t yet safe.

“Things were not over. They had never been over. Sexual abuse was still happening.”

Eventually, she wrote 14 pages of details of what her father had done to her. She showed it to her mother, who was outraged.

“I had taken my first step towards speaking out, but I had shared my story with another victim trapped in the same prison as me.”

Sadly, many children who are abused find that the only people who know are also victims.

“My father lashed  out at both of us with whatever threats necessary to maintain his control and began consistently threatening my mom with the lives of the entire family.”

Her father fits the profile of a potential family-annihilator very specifically. When they fear losing control, they can turn turn a house of horrors into a house of hostages.

“My father sought to stamp out my rebellion and became increasingly violent towards me even in front of the family.”

It was this abuse, from assaulting her in front of the family on a tour bus to beating her with a belt, that made her realize that his threats of violence if she tried to leave were no longer effective.

Just before her 24th birthday, she finally made her escape.

“Around  4 months after I left, another friend stepped forward to save the rest  of my family. He reported my father for suspicion of sexual abuse and  the official investigation started. The case was given to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.”

And yes, she helped.

“When they contacted me, I went in and ended up speaking with them the whole rest of that day.”

She had an entire lifetime’s worth of unspeakable trauma to share. And that was just about what had happened to her.

“I was able to give them a long and confident testimony which was eventually used to create the arrest warrant.”

Her father was, of course, arrested.

Given the limits of the US legal system, he was sentenced to 40 years, and he will be required to serve all of that time.

Jessica is now married to the man who first helped her to come to terms with what had happened to her.

She ends her post with a message of affirmation and hope.

“If you too are a survivor, you are not alone.”

View Slideshow: 21 Celebrities You Probably Want to Keep Away From Your Children

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Eliza Dushku: I Was Molested While Filming True Lies When I Was 12 Years Old

Yet another celebrity has come forward with a story of sexual abuse she suffered while working in the entertainment industry.

How tragic is it that we’re no longer shocked by stories like these?

For the past several months now, people have been speaking out against their abusers — there have been so many horrific stories revealed that we’ve lost count.

Which, honestly, is a tragedy all on its own.

But this weekend, we’re hearing a new story, one that is particularly hard to hear.

Because in this story, the victim was only 12 years old at the time of the abuse.

Eliza Dushku, an actress best known for her roles in TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse, shared a lengthy post to her Facebook account on Saturday morning.

“When I was 12 years old,” she wrote, “while filming True Lies, I was sexually molested by Joel Kramer, one of Hollywood’s leading stunt coordinators.”

She said that since then, she’s told her parents, one of her brothers, and two friends, but she hasn’t felt comfortable to share her story publicly.

Until now, that is.

“I remember, so clearly 25 years later, how Joel Kramer made me feel special,” Eliza wrote, “how he methodically built my and my parents’ trust, for months grooming me; exactly how he lured me to his Miami hotel room with a promise to my parent that he would take me for a swim at the stunt crew’s hotel pool and for my first sushi meal thereafter.”

“I remember vividly how he methodically drew the shades and turned down the lights; how he cranked up the air-conditioning to what felt like freezing levels, where exactly he placed me on one of the two hotel room beds, what movie he put on the television (Coneheads); how he disappeared in the bathroom and emerged, naked, bearing nothing but a small hand towel held flimsy at his mid-section.”

She recounted “how he laid me down on the bed, wrapped me with his gigantic writhing body, and rubbed all over me.”

“He spoke these words: ‘You’re not going to sleep on me now sweetie, stop pretending you’re sleeping,’ as he rubbed harder and faster against my catatonic body.”

She added that “When he was ‘finished,’ he suggested ‘I think we should be careful…,’ [about telling anyone] he meant. I was 12, he was 36.”

After that, she said that he took her home in a taxi — he sat in the backseat and put her on his lap.

When they went back to work on the film, she said that he became cold towards her, and that soon after the horrible incident she described, she confided in an adult what had happened.

The friend confronted Kramer, and Eliza wrote that “later that very same day, by no small coincidence, I was injured from a stunt-gone-wrong on the Harrier jet. With broken ribs, I spent the evening in the hospital.”

“To be clear, over the course of those months rehearsing and filming True Lies, it was Joel Kramer who was responsible for my safety on a film that at the time broke new ground for action films.”

She explained how throughout the filming of the movie, her life was “literally in his hands,” as he hung her from a harness 25 stories high.

As for why she’s speaking out now?

She’d been under the impression that Kramer was no longer working in the industry, but she said that she recently found out that was false, and she came across a photo of him hugging a young girl.

“Hollywood has been very good to me in many ways,” she acknowledged. “Nevertheless, Hollywood also failed to protect me, a child actress.”

“I like to think of myself as a tough Boston chick, in many ways I suppose not unlike Faith, Missy, or Echo. Through the years, brave fans have regularly shared with me how some of my characters have given them the conviction to stand up to their abusers.”

“Now it is you who give me strength and conviction,” she said. “I hope that speaking out will help other victims and protect against future abuse.”

It really is just a horrific story — and, not surprisingly, Kramer has already denied it all.

In a statement to Variety, he called Eliza’s story “outright hyperbole and lies,” and he insisted that it was “absolutely not true.”

But the woman who acted as Eliza’s legal guardian on the set of True Lies, Sue Booth-Forbes, confirmed Eliza’s version of events, saying that she even reported Kramer’s behavior “to a person in authority” back then.

“I was met with blank stares and had the sense that I wasn’t telling that person anything they didn’t already know,” she recounted.

We’re proud of Eliza for sharing her story, and here’s hoping that she feels at least a little bit better for doing so.

View Slideshow: Hollywood Sex Scandal: Who’s Been Caught? Accused? Fired?

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Eliza Dushku Says Stuntman Molested her When She Was 12

Eliza Dushku just posted a long, emotional account of how she says she was molested by a stuntman when she was just 12 years old, and the adults on the set did nothing to protect her. The actress says she was filming “True Lies” when the 36-year-old…

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Jose Canseco: I"ve Been Molested By Women, Never Complained"

Jose Canseco says the women accusing politicians of sexual misconduct are only complaining because the alleged offenders are “ugly men” … and now the Oakland A’s are distancing themselves from the ex-MLB star.  Canseco began ranting on…

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Bella Thorne Reveals that She Was Molested

Just because people are more likely to see Bella Thorne at her thirstiest doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have a serious side. She’s one hell of an actress, she’s part of the LGBT+ community, and she stands up for herself online.

In a particularly serious moment, Bella Thorne tweeted a grim revelation:

She is a survivor of molestation.

It can be easy, especially on the internet, for someone to not think about the words that they’re saying and the potential impact of those words.

It can also be easy to look at a young, beautiful, wealthy celebrity and assume that their life is just as perfect and carefree as it appears from their Instagram selfies.

But people don’t always openly advertise their pain or their traumatic pasts.

And there’s a reason that people try to discourage jokes about real-world horrors like sexual abuse, folks. Because it’s a real thing that happens, and you never know who — even among your friends — might be a survivor of something truly awful.

And that goes for tweets that you make on the internet about random celebrities.

So, Bella Thorne made an over-the-top remark about an outfit, tweeting:

“I would f–k this suit if I could.”

Honestly, anyone else endorsing products on social media needs to step up their game. Bella Thorne just raised the bar.

But at least one person found that praise off-putting, apparently, tweeting:

“What did Disney do to this girl?! I think she was molested.”

That is an unacceptable thing to say, even without Bella’s reply. Implying that someone who is open about their sexuality as an adult must have been molested to get that way is … awful. (And inaccurate; we’ll get to that in a moment)

Bella quoted the tweet, replying:

“Yeah I was. So it wasn’t Disney.”

That’s quite the bombshell to drop.

Bella’s never shied away from being blunt — she came out as bi on Twitter in response to a random tweet inquiring about her sexuality.

But revealing that she’s a survivor of molestation — we don’t know when, or by whom — is intense.

While she was under no obligation to reveal that, it was incredibly brave for Bella to share that grim piece of her history.

Just as she was under no obligation to tell anyone that, she should not be pressured to name her molester. That is her business.

Bella followed up that revelation just a few minutes later with a tweet with which we can all agree:

“The world can be a sick place sometimes :/”

Sad that she had to reveal it in order to shut down a hateful troll.

To be clear, though some survivors of childhood sex abuse are what’s called hypersexual, others may be sex-repulsed, and others might be neither. It doesn’t mean that, say, a hypersexual survivor’s trauma was somehow less bad than a sex-repulsed survivor’s.

And, as anyone who endured childhood trauma can attest, one of the most frustrating things for survivors is wondering who they would be — how their personalities and their lives might be different — if they hadn’t endured X or Y.

Bella Thorne might be the talented and salacious actress she is if her life had gone differently. Or she might be very different. We don’t know. And she doesn’t know.

So let’s not dwell on maybes. Instead, if Bella Thorne chooses to share more, let’s listen to what she has to say.

View Slideshow: 33 Hottest Bella Thorne Photos EVER!

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Larry Nassar: Team Doctor Who Molested Over 140 Girls Sentenced for Child Porn

Back in October, Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney revealed how she was molested by her team doctor, Larry Nassar.

In November, teammate Aly Raisman added her name to the list of over 140 young women with their own stories of abuse in the guise of medical care by Dr. Nassar.

On Thursday, Larry Nassar was sentenced — not for sex abuse, but for child pornography charges.

Dr. Larry Nassar, who is 54 years old, has been in prison while awaiting sentencing.

During that time, McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman revealed that Dr. Nassar had molested them, sharing their heartbreaking #MeToo stories with the world.

Like so many others, these Olympic superstars describe Dr. Nassar, at the time their team doctor, administering “treatments” to them under the guise of medical practice.

Olympic athletes (and others) often require legitimate therapies such as massage.

Nassar, it is described, would use these as opportunities to molest the young girls who had been entrusted to his care.

These monstrous deeds are evil to their core and unforgivable.

But, though Nassar has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault (a drop in the bucket compared to the number of accusers), it is not for these heinous crimes that he’s been sentenced.

Larry Nassar was on trial for possession of child pornography.

How much child pornography? … asked virtually no one.

He was found to have come into possession of 37,000 images that constitute child pornography.

That almost certainly means that he was collecting photos of very real children who are victims or who were victims. Awful on its own, particularly if he then shared those images or in any way financially compensated the ones who gave them to him.

Dr. Nassar was also accused of trying to destroy those images in order to avoid being held accountable for possessing child pornography.

His sentence:

60 years in federal prison.

Federal Judge Janet Neff explained (though she really didn’t need to) her reasoning behind the decision:

That Larry Nassar “should never again have access to children.”

We strongly agree.

Possibly influencing the judge’s decision were impact statements from Nassar’s many victims, including McKayla Maroney.

“Dr. Nassar was not a doctor, he in fact is, was, and forever shall be, a child molester, and a monster of a human being.”

Agreed.

“It all started when I was 13 or 14 years old, at one of my first National Team training camps, in Texas, and it didn’t end until I left the sport.”

That is a nightmare.

“It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was ‘treated.’ It happened in London before my team and I won the gold medal, and It happened before I won my Silver Medal.”

Awful.

“For me, the scariest night of my life happened when I was 15 years old. I had flown all day and night with the team to get to Tokyo.”

This is not new information, and matches what she disclosed months ago. But that doesn’t mean that it was any easier for her to write.

“He’d given me a sleeping pill for the flight, and 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.”

McKayla’s mother, Erin Maroney, also gave an impact statement about how this traumatic experience changed her daughter’s life.

“This experience has been shattering to McKayla.”

Of course it was.

“She has transformed from a bubbly, positive, loving, world class athlete into a young adult who was deeply depressed, at times suicidal and essentially descended into an emotional abyss.”

Abusing a child is a tragedy that can never be undone. They can heal, but they’ll never recover the formative years that they lost to trauma.

“At times I was unsure whether I would open her bedroom door and find her dead.”

We are eternally grateful that this monster’s abuses did not claim McKayla’s life.

“Her father and I have been living this nightmare for years and until recently we felt hopeless. Nassar and those individuals and institutions that protected him almost snuffed out my daughter.”

Michegan State University is accused of having helped to cover up Larry Nassar’s crimes. They adamantly deny it.

View Slideshow: Hollywood Sex Scandal: Who’s Been Caught? Accused? Fired?

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Gabby Douglas: Dr. Nassar Molested Me, Too

A couple of weeks ago, Aly Raisman accused Dr. Nassar of sexual abuse, joining more than 100 other gymnasts.

Aly responded to some truly despicable victim-blaming, only for her former teammate, Gabby Douglas, to seemingly victim-blame Aly for “immodesty.” Gabby apologized after the backlash, but … yikes.

Now Gabby’s come forward. Not only to apologize again, but to say that she, too, is a survivor of Dr. Nassar’s sex abuse.

After Aly Raisman gave a similar account to McKayla Maroney’s molestation accusations against Dr. Larry Nassar, their former team doctor, Aly posted about how dressing a certain way before or after being a victim of sexual abuse doesn’t in any way negate what happened.

(As we mentioned at the time, if haters see assault survivors living their lives, they dismiss what happened as “not that bad.” If they see survivors as nervous shut-ins, they tell them to “get over it.” It’s vile)

Gabby Douglas jumped in with a truly awful take: a reminder that women have a “responsibility” to dress modestly, or they might invite the wrong kind of attention.

That’s awful, and the backlash was intense. Which, we imagine, is why Gabby Douglas apologized at the time and has now posted this lengthy apology:

“First, I want to reiterate my apology for responding the way that I did to a comment that one of my teammates posted.”

That’s good. A personal desire for modesty is every bit as valid as any other personal outfit choice, from niqabs to nudity. Saying that others have a “responsibility” to feel as you do … is unacceptable.

“I know that some of you may take what I am about to say as insincere, but I still wanted to provide context.”

Context is always good.

“The day before I commented, I was at an event where hundreds of children and young adults came to spend an evening with me.”

That’s not really a surprise. She’s still a household name and she’s an athletic superstar.

“It’s very humbling when many people look up to you as an example.”

Most people would assume that it’s the opposite of humbling, but we can see that.

“I take my job as a role model very seriously and I always want to do my best to represent all the best qualities that a role model should embody. I admit there are times that I fall short.”

“I didn’t view my comments as victim-shaming because I know that no matter what you wear, it NEVER gives anyone the right to harass or abuse you.”

That’s true. You can pass out naked in somebody’s house, and they still don’t have the right to touch you without your consent. No one does.

“It would be like saying because of the leotards we wore, it was our fault that we were abused by Larry Nassar.”

Note that she says we, following up her use of the #MeToo hashtag in her first apology by confirming that she is a fellow survivor.

(Going through awful stuff doesn’t negate the problematic things that you might say or do later in life, but they can put things into context)

“I didn’t publicly share my experiences as well as many other things because for years we were conditioned to stay silent and honestly some things were extremely painful.”

We can only imagine how painful it would be to hold onto that secret, to be burdened by it.

“I wholeheartedly support my teammates for coming forward with what happened to them.”

And that’s good.

Gabby’s message continues:

“I understand that many of you didn’t know what I was dealing with, but it is important to me that you at least know this.”

We’re listening.

“I do not advocate victim shaming/blaming in any way, shape, or form!”

It sure sounded like that was what she was doing in her now-deleted “modesty” post.

“I will also never support attacking or bullying anyone on social media or anywhere else.”

That’s good … but almost sounds like she’s talking about the backlash that she received.

“Please forgive me for not being more responsible with how I handled the situation.”

Responsible is exactly the right word.

“To every other individual that commented to or about me hatefully, I apologize that I let you down too.”

That’s a very mature way to respond to your haters.

“I will never stop promoting unity, positivity, strength, being courageous, and doing good instead of evil.”

That’s good … though some of those are vague and could mean very different things from very different people.

“I have learned from this and I’m determined to be even better.”

That’s good.

She sends it with:

“All my love, Gabby.”

Whatever you may think of Gabby Douglas before or after this second apology, she did not deserve to be one of Dr. Larry Nassar’s countless alleged victims.

Dr. Nassar, who has been in jail while awaiting sentencing for child porn charges, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to sexual assault.

He is being sued by over 125 women, most of whom are gymnasts.

This story is ongoing, in that Nassar still awaits sentencing. And we may have not yet heard from all of the victims.

View Slideshow: #MeToo: Stars Share Stories of Sexual Harassment, Assault

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WNBA Star Breanna Stewart Says She Was Molested as a Child, Wants to Help Other Victims

WNBA star Breanna Stewart says she was repeatedly molested by an adult man from ages 9-11 … and she’s sharing her story to help other abused women find the strength to seek help. “It’s not a dirty little secret,” Breanna wrote in The Players’…

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McKayla Maroney: My Team Doctor Molested Me

As the “#MeToo” campaign continues, stars like Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey have come forward with near-miss horror stories of sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein. We’ve heard other stars like Reese Witherspoon reveal their own tragic histories of sexual assault in the entertainment industry.

Countless women — and men — have taken to social media to share their stories as non-celebrities.

Early this morning, decorated Olympic gymnast and meme star McKayla Maroney took to social media to share her own

McKayla Maroney is a household name, as much for her Olympic accomplishments as a gymnast as for her adorable looks.

Her expression of disappointment upon winning  a silver medal is so iconic that it became a meme.

When she met President Barack Obama, the two posed together doing her meme body language and facial expression.

(The second place belt at my own trivia night is just called “The Maroney,” and has a large photo of a very disappointed McKayla Maroney on it)

Of course, McKayla Maroney is a gold medal gymnast and pretty much universally beloved.

And while no one questions that’s she’s gorgeous — McKayla isn’t shy about taking sexy gold medal selfies, and why should she be? — McKayla first rose to Olympic stardom when she was a minor.

She’s now come forward with her “#MeToo” story, and unfortunately it begins before she was an international icon.

McKayla shared her story on Twitter and, fair warning, this is tough to read.

“Everyone’s words over the past few days have been so inspiring to me. I know how hard it is to speak publicly about something so horrible, and so personal, because it’s happened to me too.”

We cannot imagine how difficult this was for her to write.

“People should know that this is not just happening in Hollywood. This is happening everywhere. Wherever there is a position of power, there seems to be potential for abuse. I had a dream to go to the Olympics, and the things that I had to endure to get there were unnecessary and disgusting.”

This should never, ever have happened. But it’s not her fault.

“I was molested by Dr. Larry Nassar, the team doctor for the US Women’s National Gymnastics Team and Olympic Team.”

Not everyone is naming names, for a variety of reasons. That’s every individual survivor’s decision to make. McKayla’s choice in naming her abuser was made a little easier.

Dr. Nassar, who was team doctor from 1996 to 2015, has already pleaded guilty to child porn charges and is set to stand trial for the sexual assault of nine different girls.

McKayla is certainly the highest profile Olympian to come forward.

“Dr. Nassar told me that I was receiving ‘medically necessary treatment that he had been performing on patients for over 30 years."”

That line is horrifying in two different ways. One: it’s how he used his authority to gain her confidence. Two: it’s a chilling suggestion that he could have countless other victims.

“It started when I was 13 years old, at one of my first National Team training camps, in Texas, and it didn’t end until I left the sport. It seemed whenever and wherever the man could find a chance, I was ‘treated."”

That is absolutely monstrous.

“It happened in London before my team and I won the Gold Medal, and it happened before I won my Silver.”

There’s some very grim context for you.

“For me, the scariest night of my life happened when I was 15 years old. I had flown all day and night with the team to get to Tokyo. He’d given me a sleeping pill for the flight, and 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.”

That’s something out of a nightmare, but for McKayla, it’s just part of her life.

“Things have to change … but how do we begin? I’m not expert, but here are my thoughts.”

She presents a formula for repairing our broken world.

“One: speaking out, and bringing awareness to the abuse that is happening.”

This can be the most frightening and dangerous. Just saying that you were a victim can change the way that people see you and bring accusationst hat it was your fault. Accusing someone, especially someone powerful, is much more intimidating.

“Two: people, institutions, organizations, especially those with positions of power, etc, need to be held accountable for their inappropriate actions and behavior.”

That’s absolutely right. If someone’s organization or company is standing by them after they’re accused, what does that say about the culture? Nothing good.

“Three: educate and prevent, no matter the cost.”

Remember, this nightmare began for McKayla when she was just 13. A doctor with a lot of authority told her something, and every ounce of social conditioning told her to take him at his word.

People need to know how to recognize abuse. And adults need to know how to respond when they hear about this.

“Four: have zero tolerance for abusers and those who protect them.”

This is perhaps the most important one. Did you know that Johnny Depp is still getting work? Did you know that, though Weinstein’s been expelled, Bill Cosby and Woody Allen are still part of the Academy?

Abusers should never know peace or love or friendship. That shouldn’t be a radical statement, folks; we’re talking about monsters who ruin lives.

McKayla finishes this gut-wrenching but insightful post with some educated optimism.

“Is it possible to put an end to this type of abuse? Is it possible for survivors to speak out without putting their careers and dreams in jeopardy? I hope so.”

We hope so, too.

“Our silence has given the wrong people power for too long and it’s time to take our power back. And remember, it’s never too late to speak up.”

McKayla Maroney is such a good person. We don’t deserve her.

And she deserves a lot better than what life has handed her.

Thank you, McKayla, for speaking up.

View Slideshow: #MeToo: Stars Share Stories of Sexual Harassment, Assault

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McKayla Maroney: I Was Drugged and Molested By Team USA Doctor

McKayla Maroney says she was sexually assaulted by the team doctor for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team and Olympic team — and the abuse started when she was 13 years old.  The former U.S. Olympic gymnast went public about the alleged…

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McKayla Maroney: I Was Drugged and Molested By Team USA Doctor

McKayla Maroney says she was sexually assaulted by the team doctor for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team and Olympic team — and the abuse started when she was 13 years old.  The former U.S. Olympic gymnast went public about the alleged…

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Terry Crews: I Was Sexually Molested, Too

Over the past several days, Hollywood has been rocked by an ever-growing scandal centered around Harvey Weinstein.

The long-time movie producer was revealed by The New York Times last week to be a serial sexual harasser, as the newspaper revealed eight past instances in which Weinstein paid off alleged victims in exchange for the silence.

Since then, Weinstein has basically admitted to many of the charges… issued a bizarre apology… been fired by the company he helped build…

… and been accused of rape by seven different women.

It’s an ugly, ugly, UGLY situation.

However, if any silver lining can come out of this controversy, it’s the exposure of sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry and how so many women have disgusting stories to tell.

Numerous actresses have been coming forward of late with statements about their own sordid past with Weinstein and/or with some other high-powered male who put them in an awkward (at best) circumstance.

Enough of this behavior is enough – and perhaps this bombshell of a report will help curb such gross behavior.

But Terry Crews wants the public to know that women aren’t the only victims.

He was once groped by a Hollywood executive.

“This whole thing with Harvey Weinstein is giving me PTSD. Why? Because this kind of thing happened to ME,” the Brooklyn 99 star wrote as the first of many Tweets outlining what happened to him.

We’ll just let the actor take it from here.

We’ll let Crews tell his own awful story…

My wife n I were at a Hollywood function last year n a high level Hollywood executive came over 2 me and groped my privates. (2/cont.)

Jumping back I said What are you doing?! My wife saw everything n we looked at him like he was crazy. He just grinned like a jerk. (3/cont.) 

I was going to kick his ass right then— but I thought twice about how the whole thing would appear. (4/cont.)

“240 lbs. Black Man stomps out Hollywood Honcho” would be the headline the next day. (5/cont.)

Only I probably wouldn’t have been able to read it because I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN JAIL. So we left. (6/cont.)

That night and the next day I love what I do. But it’s a shame and the height of disappointment when someone tries to takes advantage of that. (12/cont.)I talked to everyone I knew that worked with him about what happened. (7/cont.)

He called me the next day with an apology but never really explained why he did what he did. (8/cont.)

I decided not 2 take it further becuz I didn’t want 2b ostracized— par 4 the course when the predator has power n influence. (9/cont.)

I let it go. And I understand why many women who this happens to let it go. (10/cont.)

Who’s going 2 believe you? ( few) What r the repercussions?(many) Do u want 2 work again? (Yes) R you prepared 2b ostracized?(No)(11/cont.)

I love what I do. But it’s a shame and the height of disappointment when someone tries to takes advantage of that. (12/cont.)

He knows who he is. But sumtimes Uhav2 wait & compare notes w/ others who’ve been victimized in order 2gain a position of strength. (13cont)

I understand and empathize with those who have remained silent. But Harvey Weinstein is not the only perpetrator. (14/cont.)

Hollywood is not the only business we’re this happens, and to the casualties of this behavior— you are not alone. (15/cont.)

Hopefully, me coming forward with my story will deter a predator and encourage someone who feels hopeless. (16/end)

Wow.

We admire Terry Crews for coming out with this story. Bravo, sir.

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Lance Bass Reveals "Pedophile" Molested N SYNC Members

Lance Bass appeared on Meredith Viera’s talk show today and revealed that he and other members of ‘N SYNC were inappropriately touched by an older man when they were still in their teens.

The panel was discussing Ashley Judd’s claim that she was sexually harassed by Harvey Weinstein when Bass opened up and revealed that he’d suffered similar abuse:

Lance Bass Opens Up About Sexual Harassment

“This also happens to men, too,” he said. “It has happened to me. When I was 16, 17 years old, and we started, there was someone that we worked with that was inappropriately touching us.

“I was even aware then, at 16, that this guy was a pedophile. He was touching me oddly.”

Bass added that he and the other members of the band  – which included pop mega-star Justin Timberlake – would cope with the harassment by talking about the incidents of abuse with one another.

“With the guys we would kind of talk about it, joke about, but it’s not a joking thing…I’m glad that we were aware of it and we didn’t feel victimized at the time,” Bass said.

Many in the media have speculated that the man responsible for the abuse is disgraced ‘N SYNC manager Lou Pearlman.

Though Bass didn’t mention Pearlman by name today, the 61-year-old boy band impresario has been accused of child molestation in the past. 

Pearlman is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence on unrelated charges.

View Slideshow: 90s Boy Bands: Where Are They Now?