Dita Von Teese says she was ‘preyed upon’ as a teenager

‘We have a president who is very much on the other side of Me Too, notoriously,’ says burlesque star

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Burlesque star Dita Von Teese has spoken out about how she felt “preyed upon” throughout her teenage years, stating that the resurgence of the MeToo movement “opened up the floodgates”.

Ahead of her UK Glamonatrix tour in April, Von Teese spoke to PA news agency about how she was treated during her adolescence.

The dancer and model said that she believes discussing the MeToo movement, which highlights the stories of those who have experienced sexual harassment and assault, is “a really important conversation to have”.

“I just think about mostly all my conversations I have had with men regarding that,” the 47-year-old said.

“It really opened up the floodgates and let people talk about how it is to be a man navigating all of that, how it is being a woman navigating all of that, and what our experiences are.”

Von Teese added that she “never really talked about” how she often felt as though she was being “preyed upon” as a teenager.

“A lot of men who are not that way were surprised to hear that that is how it is to be a young woman or to be a woman in general,” she said.

“So, I think, most importantly, having the conversation has been really interesting, and hearing people talking about it openly... Being in restaurants and hearing people talk about their experiences, overhearing things, and people feeling freer to speak about it is important.”

The Michigan-born burlesque dancer then referenced Donald Trump’s presidency in the US, saying: “It’s a very strange time.”

“We have a president who is very much on the other side of the MeToo [movement], notoriously,” Von Teese stated.

“I guess you have to be optimistic. That’s the only way to be. It is like you start realising that this is the way of the world. Corruption is everywhere.

“Hopefully there are ways to control it in the future.”

A few years ago, Von Teese spoke about remaining friends with singer Marilyn Manson, to whom she was married from 2005 to 2007.

She described her ex-husband as “super encouraging”, saying there was “a lot of cross-over” in their creative careers.

“I can speak fondly about him now. If you had asked me four years ago I would have shut it down. We’re friends now and it’s fine,” she said.