American comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres is famous for bringing laughter to her audience, but little do people know that she went through a very traumatic experience when she was a teenager.
DeGeneres opened up about her personal moments from her past during her appearance on Season 2 of Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. From the highs and lows of her career, loosing a girlfriend in a car crash, her wife Portia de Rossi and the struggle she faced in coming out publicly.
But what caught the attention of the viewers is when the comedienne revealed that she was sexually assulted by her own stepfather. She hid the information about the assault for years.
According to the 61-year-old host, her stepfather asked to feel her breasts because of Ellen’s mother, Berry Degeneres, had recently diagnosed of breast cancer and was needed to undergo a breast removal. Ellen’s stepfather said that he just want to check her body for possible lumps.
“He told me when she was out of town that he’d felt a lump in her breast and needed to feel my breasts because he didn’t want to upset her, but he needed to feel mine,†DeGeneres said.
“Again, ’cause I didn’t know about bodies, I don’t know that breasts are all different. Anyway, he convinced me that he needs to feel my breasts and then he tries to do it again another time, and then another time, he tried to break my door down, and I kicked the window out and ran ’cause I knew it was gonna do–it was gonna go more to something.” she continued.
Ellen hid this horrible story from her mom because she was afraid of ruining her happiness and she wants to protect her as well. But when she did tell her, she didn’t believe her own daughter and instead stayed with the man for 18 years.
“I’m angry at myself because I was too weak to stand up—I was 15 or 1,” she revealed. “I mean, it’s a really horrible, horrible story and the only reason I’m actually gonna go into detail about it is because I want other girls to not, you know, ever let someone do that.” the comedienne revealed.
DeGeneres is hoping that her story will help other victims of sexual assault to come forward and fight for their right. She encouraged every women to “have a voice” and “have power.”
“We [women] just don’t feel like we’re worthy, or we’re scared to have a voice, and we’re scared to say no,†she says.
“That’s the only reason I think it’s important to talk about it because there’s so many young girls and it doesn’t matter how old you are. When I see people speaking out, especially now, it angers me when victims aren’t believed, because we just don’t make stuff up. And I like men, but there are so many men that get away with so much.†Ellen added.
