Assault under the spotlight
STORY / 05.08.24 / 7 min read
by Michele Battistioli
Celebrity abuse survivors open up about their experiences
Abuse is a topic that affects society as a whole, regardless of social status, wealth, and gender.
The #MeToo movement helped shed light on the misconducts and offenses that happened in the film industry at its highest levels, mainly portrayed by the testimonies of several women victims of this vicious system, such as Jennifer Lawrence, Lady Gaga, Reese Witherspoon and many more.
Tweets and posts regarding this topic became acts of courage and solidarity, often inspiring others to share their experience openly and vulnerably.
Other stories related to assault and abuse have been portrayed by other media, and they seemed to have the same effect: more people were reaching out for help.
After the BBC narrated the story of Stephen Port, known as the “Grindr killer”, there was a reported 50% increase in the calls made by males to Safeline, a platform that supports sexual violence and abuse victims.
Similarly, the charity “We Are Survivors”, a UK-based organization, that helps male survivors of sexual abuse, saw an 80% rise in calls after the series “Baby Reindeer” was aired on Netflix, and 53% of the callers mentioned the show as their reason for reaching out. Baby Reindeer depicts the story of Donny, a male comedian as the victim of harassment and stalking, based on the real story of its writer and star, Richard Gadd, who is an ambassador of We Are Survivors as well.
Other male celebrities, who felt the necessity of revealing their experience as victims of abuse and assault, opened up and told their stories to the public.
Earlier this year, the French hashtag, #MeTooGarçons (#MeTooBoys in English) was started by the actor Aurélien Wiik, regarding the abuse committed by his agent and other members of the industry, which denoted the extent of the issue, reaching far beyond the shadow of the Hollywood sign.
Social media like X, Instagram, and Reddit are becoming platforms for survivors to share their testimonies, potentially inspiring others to tell their stories as well.
1. Terry Crews on sexual assault
One of the main voices speaking about this was Terry Crews, who was allegedly groped by a Hollywood executive during a party. His wife was also present at the event.
For many, this came as a surprise, since Crews is, first of all, a man, with a considerably muscular physique, so how could this have supposedly happened to him?
A senator had a similar question, when the actor shared his story in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His response started with “Senator, as a black man in America”. He then proceeded to explain how black men could be provoked into committing acts of violence, to then end up imprisoned or even killed.
Crews also shared the story of his abusive father, and how he became “strong” to protect his mother. The actor spoke in front of the Committee for the same reason, to help those who are in need. In this case, it was other survivors, against the potential backlash and incredulity from the public and the industry.
There seems to be a general skepticism regarding episodes of assault and abuse towards men, which might be related to different perceptions based on the public’s view: men are generally considered the perpetrators of these kinds of crimes towards women, rather than the victims, and that men appear to be able to defend themselves in such cases.
Although the numbers confirm the prevalence of female victims of sexual assault (1 in 3 women between the ages of 11 and 17 in the US, according to the NSVRC), there is also a significant number of male targets to take into consideration (1 in 4 men aged 11 to 17 in the US, NSVRC).
One of the most worrying aspects of the data is the young age of the victims, since the traumatic event could have repercussions in their future development and life as adults.
2. Chester Bennington and childhood abuse
Another celebrity abuse survivor was Chester Bennington, late singer of the band Linkin Park, which would have occurred at the age of 11, indicating a male friend as the culprit.
This shows the other end of the spectrum of abuse, potentially deriving from both strangers and close people alike.
52.4% of male victims of rape reported being abused by an acquaintance (NSVRC), signifying that abuse from trusted people is the predominant type of sexual assault endured by men.
This closeness can be a determining factor in how survivors see others, and how they evaluate the level of trust they want to put in their relationships from that moment on.
Additionally, the fact that the abuser was a person that the victim was relying on could make the healing process even harder than it is already, and it might offer a bleak and negative view of the people around them.
This can potentially change the perspective of the survivor, perhaps even cultivating resentment and hatred towards themselves and the outside world. But this perspective can change, and it can also positively affect the journey toward overcoming past traumatic events.
Some of the celebrities that spoke up about their experience had to face not only the potential shame, ridicule and skepticism, but also backlash from the horrifying system that they were accusing.
3. Brendan Fraser wins back his place in Hollywood
Exposing episodes of abuse could even further harm the victim, as stated by actor Brendan Fraser, who claimed to be sexually assaulted by a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Fraser talked about the system of power in which these abuse cases are committed and kept secret, and how he realized he was not able to be silent anymore and decided to reveal his experience. The actor also mentioned how his act of courage damaged his career, even to the point of questioning the possibility that he was blacklisted, showing the extent of the potential repercussions that a victim of abuse undergoes when speaking aloud.
No matter the difficulties, the trauma, and the self-doubts, Brendan Fraser made it back on the big screen with the movie “The Whale”, winning an Oscar for best actor in the Academy Awards of 2023.'
This victory was not only a significant success for the actor, but it also became the symbol of hope and overcoming for survivors: against all odds and obstacles, healing can be achieved, a fulfilling life can be lived, and goals can be reached.
Although reaching this point is already a difficult and tortuous journey, there are also those who were able to walk the extra mile, bringing a new perspective not only to themselves but also to the rest of the world, and in some cases even towards their view on the abuser.
4. The power of forgiveness explained by Carlos Santana
Learning how to live and take care of yourself during or after a traumatic event can be extremely challenging, and even more difficult to overcome the long-lasting effects of the experience.
Forgiving the one who committed the assault or abuse might not be even considered by many, due to the impact and depth of the actions suffered by the victim, whether physical or psychological or both.
However, the artist and guitarist Carlos Santana managed to find peace by letting go of the pain received and forgiving his abuser, a man who helped Santana cross the Tijuana border when the artist was young and vulnerable.
Santana mentioned how, with time, he changed his perspective regarding the man who abused him by looking at this person with compassion as if he were a child, possibly in the sense that children do not understand if their actions cause harm.
The artist mentioned the saying “Hurt people hurt people”, and hating or perhaps seeking revenge on those who did wrong can be even more damaging to the victim, as it puts them in the same situation of inflicting pain on another human being.
By letting go of the pain and hatred, whether they are placed on yourself or the person who hurt you, there might be an opening that allows forgiveness and healing to replace the negative thoughts, and it could put the recovery process in a different perspective.
A perspective where the victims look ahead to what they can do with their lives and experience them to the best of their possibilities, without the past holding them back towards their goals and well-being.
Providing support, safety, and compassion in sharing these stories and in the healing process can help stop the cycle of abuse and harm, ending this cruel system that keeps repeating itself.
It's time to let the curtains fall.
Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/some-male-sexual-assault-victims-feel-left-behind metoo-n867386
https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/22/opinions/chester-bennington-sex-abuse-opinion cook/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jul/07/linkin-park-moscow-interview
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/terry-crews-names-alleged-sexual-assaulter shamed/story?id=51146972
https://people.com/movies/terry-crews-hits-back-at-his-metoo-critics-with-powerful-tweet after-claiming-sexual-assault/
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/10/metoo-male-accusers-terry-crews-alex-winter michael-gaston-interview
https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/male-domestic-violence-survivors say-feel-depp-heard-trial-turning-poi-rcna29742
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/johnny-depp-amber-heard defamation-trial-summary-timeline-rcna26136
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https://patient.info/news-and-features/why-is-sexual-violence-against-men-on-the-rise
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/baby-reindeer-charity-sexual-abuse-b2542342.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/baby-reindeer-charity-sexual-abuse-b2542342.html