Speaking out. Busy Philipps revealed that she was raped at age 14 as she admitted her fear about sharing her story.
“#tbt This is me at 14. The age I was raped,” the Cougar Town alum, 39, captioned a throwback photo of herself via Instagram Thursday, September 27. “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.”
Philipps also shared the reason why she chose to speak out at this point. “Today is the day we are silent no more. All of us,” she continued. “I’m scared to post this. I can’t imagine what Dr. Ford is feeling right now.”
The Dawson’s Creek actress referred to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, in her post. The professor testified on Thursday in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee about her alleged encounter with the judge when they were in high school.
Philipps previously spoke out in support of Ford on Friday, September 21. The I Feel Pretty star and several other celebrities shared a post on their social media encouraging President Donald Trump‘s eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, to push for an FBI investigation into the allegations.
“#DearIvanka,” the post read. “You don’t follow me on social media. But as a public servant, you work for me. You’ve proclaimed yourself a feminist and a champion of women’s rights. Right now, you have an opportunity to fight for women. Use your access to demand that Professor Ford’s request for a full, fair, trauma-informed investigation by the FBI be held.”
The actress’ book, This Will Only Hurt a Little, comes out October 16. Philipps has already teased a few topics covered in the book, including the story behind her first tattoo and a behind-the-scenes look at her time on Dawson’s Creek.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing and recovering, and more.
