Tatum O’Neal, Oscar-Winning ‘Paper Moon’ Star: ‘I Have Been Sexually Assaulted More Than Once’
Tatum O’Neal, the youngest Academy Award winner in history, has responded to Donald Trump’s mockery of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford by revealing that she has been “sexually assaulted more than once” throughout her life. In an Instagram post, the “Paper Moon” star — who was just 10 years old when she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress — opens up about her experiences and opines the current political climate.
“I am a woman and i have been sexually assaulted more than once,” O’Neal writes alongside an image of her in “Paper Moon.” There were apparently numerous incidents, as she mentions it happening at ages five, six, 12, 13, and 15 — “all by older men who I thought were safe.”
“I rarely have known safety and was always blamed for for the assaults,” O’Neal adds, saying that people have cited her “loudness” and “curiosity” as reasons for what happened to her. “It’s taken in me almost 55 years to know how to advocate for myself but I learn fast and here I go.”
Then she gets overtly political: “To see the president of US.Mock a woman, let alone a sexual assault victim. We’ve sunk to a depth of depravity that I never thought the president of the United States could ever sink to,” she continues. “There are people will say, I had it coming or it was probably my fault. Or I deserved it — that’s what America has come to.”
“We are Americans and we should always fight for people who have had trauma or who have suffered, and never hurt others for whatever reason. I’ve never seen such a dark time in our country,” O’Neal adds. Read her full post below.
