Jodie Sweetin Speaks Out About Her Own Sexual Assault Amid Christine Blasey Ford's Testimony

"I stand with her. I AM her," the Fuller House actress wrote

692275799_ab_1013_93f5d742348424c9d9e63d0e64e1fce6.jpg
Photo: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images for Fashion Media

Jodie Sweetin has opened about a sexual assault encounter.

On Thursday, in light of Christine Blasey Ford’s emotional testimony at the Supreme Court hearing, Sweetin spoke out in support about her own experience on Instagram.

Wearing a camouflage jacket with the words “What doesn’t kill you f—s you up mentally” written on the back, Sweetin explained to her followers why she supports and identifies with Ford.

“I stand with her. I AM her,” the Fuller House actress wrote. “I was the girl who never reported because I blamed myself. I was the woman who never reported because I didn’t want to go through the pain and ridicule.”

“What we saw today is about a much bigger issue of survivors of sexual assault being persecuted, judged and re-traumatized when they do come forward,” Sweetin, 36, continued. “We are told that if it were “real,” we would have reported it at the time. Often when we were merely children or young girls.”

Jodie-Sweetin
Jodie Sweetin/Instagram

Giving examples of what these young girls have to endure if they do speak out, Sweetin — who is currently the mother of two daughters Zoie Laurel May, 10, and Beatrix Carlin, 8 — came to a simple conclusion: “It was easier to stay quiet.”

“As we grew older and it happened again, we had been trained to remain silent,” she continued. “We had learned the lesson that no one will believe us. That even if someone DOES, it holds no consequence. We had watched other women come forward, only to be told “there were no witnesses, so it’s your word against his, knowing that “his” story is always more believed than “hers”.”

She finished her post by encouraging others not to be dismissive of the courageous survivors, like Ford, who have spoken up and shared their stories. Sweetin also promised her followers that she would take action moving forward.

“I will not sit still. I will not stay quiet,” she wrote. “Although I may never be as brave or as unflinching in the face of such an inquisition as she was today, it has given me hope. That maybe, just maybe, female survivors of sexual assault may be heard. Even if our voice is barely above a whisper.”

The Paley Center For Media's 11th Annual PaleyFest Fall TV Previews Los Angeles - Netflix
Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic

Sweetin is among several other prominent female figures who have recently spoken out in light of the Kavanaugh court hearing.

Earlier on Thursday, Patti Murin — who plays the role of Princess Anna in the Broadway version of Frozen — revealed on Twitter that she was date-raped when she was 24. In her tweet, the Broadway star, now 38, explained to her followers why she didn’t report her sexual assault that occurred more than 10 years ago.

“Why didn’t I say anything or report it? Because I was casually dating each of them and I didn’t think anyone would believe me,” she wrote. “I didn’t even believe myself until years later.”

Also on Thursday, Busy Philipps shared an emotional message on Instagram saying that she was raped when she was 14. Philipps, now 39, used a school photo of herself, snapped when she was that same age, to go along with her revelation.

“This is me at 14. The age I was raped,” Philipps wrote. “It’s taken me 25 years to say those words. I wrote about it in my book. I finally told my parents and sister about it 4 months ago.”

RELATED VIDEO: Aly Raisman on Sexual Assault and Young Women

#WhyIDidntReport began trending after President Donald Trump questioned why Ford waited nearly four decades to report her alleged sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations against him.

Supporters including Alyssa Milano, Padma Lakshmi, and Lili Reinhart all slammed Trump’s sentiment on social media using the hashtag.

“Hey, @realDonaldTrump, Listen the f— up,” Milano, 45, wrote. “I was sexually assaulted twice. Once when I was a teenager. I never filed a police report and it took me 30 years to tell my parents.”

The Insatiable actress, who is involved with the #MeToo campaign, then encouraged other sexual assault victims to follow her lead.

“If any survivor of sexual assault would like to add to this please do so in the replies. #MeToo.”

If you or someone you care about is affected by sexual violence, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Related Articles