In the upcoming second season of David Letterman’s show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Ellen DeGeneres talks about being s/e/x/ually abused as a young teen.
She was brave enough to say that her stepfather had done this horrible thing to her, and she told other women not to let themselves be hurt in the same way.
Ellen wanted to describe this horrible event in detail so that no other woman would ever have to go through something like it.
Her thoughts serve as a reminder of the courage and resilience required to withstand such awful experiences.
Ellen DeGeneres shares a highly personal story about her stepfather and mother’s battle with breast cancer.
Her mother was gone then, and he’d told Ellen he’d noticed a lump in his wife’s breast. He also requested that Ellen let him feel her breasts to convince himself about what it could be.
She tried to keep the problem from her mother, but her stepfather kept coming to her room without being asked and trying to get in.
She escaped via a window to protect herself and spare her mother any further pain.
Ellen DeGeneres told her mother the terrible truth about her stepfather’s s/e/x/ual abuse, which she had kept hidden for years.
Even though she admitted it, her mother stayed with him for another 18 years. This was because she believed, among other things, that she couldn’t say anything about his behavior.
This is still a problem today, as many victims are not believed or supported, and their experiences are discounted – especially when powerful males are involved.
Ellen’s anger has made her want to speak out so that other victims will find their voices again and stand up for themselves.
It is time for those wronged to reclaim control and influence over their lives.