Gabrielle Union: 'I was raped'
December 7, 2009 No Comments
Hollywood actress Gabrielle Union gets her party on better than the next chick, but she can lend her famous face, time and energy to much-needed causes as well. She recently went before Congress to push for legislation that would help rape victims. Union shared a personal tale that few people knew about and something few women in general discuss: Rape.
“When I was 19 years old, I was raped,” Union said. “I was working at a shoe store in California, and the store was robbed. The person robbing the store ended up putting a gun to my head and raping me. As he was raping me, I felt as though I was floating over myself, thinking, ‘This isn’t happening.’ I blanked out and had an out-of-body experience, like I was hovering above seeing this — horrible thing happen to someone else…not me.”
Union said while the incident was horrifying it did not scar her forever, thanks to some timely intervention and care.
:I was fortunate enough to go the UCLA rape crisis center after this horrific ordeal. It gave me my life back. My dignity and self-esteem were gone and they helped me find them again.”
That’s why I now lobby for state legislatures across the country and the federal government to help raise funds and awareness for rape crisis centers, and I speak to all different kinds of people across the country about what happened to me. My goal is to never hear the words ‘me too’ from someone after I say ‘I was raped.”
Go ‘head, Gabby!
