Minnie Driver's Story of Being Assaulted at 16 Years Old Illustrates Why Many Survivors Don't Come Forward

PHOTO: Getty Images for the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival

Minnie Driver revealed something very personal to Pete Dominick on Sirius XM’s StandUP! on Tuesday (October 12): She was physically assaulted when she was 16 years old.

“When I was 16, I was on vacation in Greece, and this guy kinda elbow-grabbed me and said, ‘You’re going to dance with me,’" the Speechless star said. “I said ‘no’ and I pulled my arm away from him, and he grabbed me by the back of my hair. I tried to kick him, and then he punched me.”

Driver's experience is disturbing, but unfortunately, not that uncommon. Several female celebrities, including Amber Tamblyn, have recently opened up about their assault stories in light of Donald Trump's leaked video from 2005, where he brags about groping women.

But Driver's emotional ordeal reveals more than just the frequency of female sexual harassment. It also illustrates why so many women are afraid to come forward: Cops blamed Driver when she told them about the incident.

“The way [the police] presented it was, 'This guy was just having a good time and if you’d gone along with it, it would’ve been fine,’” she said. "‘If you’d just danced with him, you wouldn’t be in this position that you’re in now.’”

This is total crap, obviously. Sexual assault is never, ever the survivor's fault. You know this, but unfortunately, victim-blaming is still alive and well. History tells survivors that something similar to Driver will happen to them if they open up. And that needs to change.

“Whether it’s being manhandled, whether it’s being pushed around, or whether it’s actual physical aggression or indeed being raped — I know way too many women,” Driver said.

I do too. We all do.

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Source: http://www.glamour.com/story/minnie-driver-story-of-being-assaulted-at-16-years-old