AnnaLynne McCord Opens Up About Personal Sexual Assault: 'Now I Have a Clear Conscience'
AnnaLynne McCord, an actress on "90210" and activist to end slavery and human trafficking, has revealed her own experience of sexual assault at a charity gala. The 25-year-old spoke bluntly about her experience and the problem of sexual assault that prevails throughout the country.
"Has anyone ever been raped? Sexually abused? Not said 'no' when you felt you didn't have the right to? I know what it feels like," McCord began. "I had a very similar experience to what these girls go through 20 times a night."
"It happened to me once by somebody that I knew, and it is a very interesting thing to feel that you do not have the voice to say 'no.' It wasn't an attack or anything like that - I just had no voice. I did not know how to say, 'I don't want this. Please do not do this to me,'" McCord further explained.
Statistics show that one in four women will be a victim of sexual assault or violence throughout their life, and McCord works on behalf of all those victimized. She was the host of the Life is Love gala earlier this week, which benefitted the Somaly Mam Foundation.
McCord appeared with fellow actors and actresses to support the group, which works to end human trafficking and slavery. The Somaly Mam Foundation was "co-founded by sexual slavery survivor Somaly Mam, and works to eradicate human trafficking, liberate its victims and empower survivors so they can create and sustain lives of dignity," according to its website.
For McCord, the gala provided an opportunity to speak honestly about her own experience and hopefully inspire others. "Finally, I can say I was taken advantage of-not from my own shame that I did something to deserve that-and now I can have a clear conscience."
