'Fuller House' star Jodie Sweetin reveals childhood sexual assault after Christine Blasey Ford testimony
Jodie Sweetin has been through a lot — and, it turns out, much more than we ever knew.
The Fuller House star, 36, was yet another person moved by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday, leading to her sharing on social media that she has endured multiple sexual assaults, starting with one when she was a child.
“I stand with her,” Sweetin wrote in her poignant post, alongside photo of herself in a camo coat with “What doesn’t kill you f***s you up mentally” on the back.
“I AM her. I was the girl who never reported because I blamed myself. I was the woman who never reported because I didn’t want to go through the pain and ridicule. The same sort of pain that I witnessed Dr. Christine Blasey Ford walk through today.”
A post shared by Jodie Sweetin (@jodiesweetin) on Sep 27, 2018 at 5:05pm PDT
Sweetin went on to talk about what she described as the “bigger issue,” which she wrote is the persecution of sexual assault survivors, who get “judged and re-traumatized” when they come forward. She also wrote about why victims don’t report to the police.
“We are told that if it were ‘real,’ we would have reported it at the time,” she wrote. “Often when we were merely children or young girls. Girls who were assaulted and then had ‘whore’ written on lockers because rumors spread. Girls who were afraid of becoming a pariah in their social circles because they told the truth. It was easier to stay quiet. And as we grew older and it happened again, we had been trained to remain silent. We had learned the lesson that no one will believe us. That even if someone DOES, it holds no consequence.”
The former child star ended by saying the issue “isn’t about politics” to her — it’s about Ford’s trauma being brushed aside.
“I will not sit still. I will not stay quiet,” she wrote. “Although I may never be as brave or as unflinching in the face of such an inquisition as she was today, it has given me hope. That maybe, just maybe, female survivors of sexual assault may be heard. Even if our voice is barely above a whisper.”
Sweetin’s post generated countless comments — most of which were supportive, with people sharing their stories about why they kept quiet or just applauding her candor.
“You said it Jodie, you’re afraid to say anything about it,” wrote one. “I was treated crappy.”
Her Full House and Fuller House co-star John Stamos also posted some heartfelt words, writing, “PROUD OF YOU JODIE! And love you. You continue to be an inspiration to me and many others. Thank you, Uncle J.”
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