Evan Rachel Wood recently spoke out about her past experiences with sexual abuse.
For her work in Westworld, Ms. Wood has been asked a lot about rape and violence against women in TV and film. Though Westworld itself has a great deal, Ms. Wood says it isn’t gratuitous and is actually making a point against the sexism of the media.
At the time, Evan Rachel did not disclose her whole history with the topic of sexual assault. After Donald Trump, a serial groper at best and alleged rapist at worst, won the election, Ms. Wood couldn’t hold back her story any longer.
In an open letter to Rolling Stone, Ms. Wood talked about being raped, once by a boyfriend and once by a bar owner. She felt that in the culture of growing misogyny, women can’t stay silent anymore.
Ms. Wood shared the letter in its entirety on Twitter,
She states it’s time to deal with bigotry and sexism in this country
Her letter is heartfelt and honest, one of the few open letters to come across as not douchey, and encourages woman to quit worrying if they’re overreacting or blaming themselves for sexual abuse. Hopefully, by more people being honest about their experiences and not being ashamed of being the victim of a crime, sexual abuse can be discussed openly and fewer perpetrators will continue to get away with their heinous crimes.