Ashley Judd publishes powerful open letter, saying 'I am a survivor of sexual assault, rape and incest'

The Divergent actress spoke out against the misogynistic abuse that she receives on social media

Helen Nianias
Friday 20 March 2015 13:05 GMT
Ashley Judd said she will report the abuse to police
Ashley Judd said she will report the abuse to police

Ashley Judd has written an emotional open letter, explaining the horror of sexual abuse she claims she was subjected to as a young woman.

The actor and activist wrote the open letter for Mic.com under the title "Forget Your Team: Your Online Violence Toward Girls and Women Is What Can Kiss My Ass".

Judd explains that she was recently bombarded with hateful messages after she tweeted about a game of American Football.

She wrote: "I routinely cope with tweets that sexualize, objectify, insult, degrade and even physically threaten me. I have already - recently, in fact - looked into what is legally actionable in light of such abuse, and have supplied Twitter with scores of reports about the horrifying content on its platform.

"But this particular tsunami of gender-based violence and misogyny flooding my Twitter feed was overwhelming."

Judd explained - much like Lena Dunham has done in the past - that going on Twitter as a high-profile woman can be frightening as she was overwhelmed by people sending rape threats.

Judd launched legal action against people who sent her threats of violence. Earlier this week, Judd confirmed that she will be pressing charges against anyone who threatened her in an attempt to help create new laws for the internet.

Ashley Judd said she will report the abuse to police

In the open letter, Judd wrote there are "ripe dangers that invariably accompany being a woman and having an opinion about sports or, frankly, anything else.

"What happened to me is the devastating social norm experienced by millions of girls and women on the Internet."

In the open letter, Judd goes on to detail the horrific abuse that she did experience in her youth.

"I am a survivor of sexual assault, rape and incest," Judd wrote.

"I am greatly blessed that in 2006, other thriving survivors introduced me to recovery. I seized it. My own willingness, partnered with a simple kit of tools, has empowered me to take the essential odyssey from undefended and vulnerable victim to empowered survivor."

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