EPIDEMIC

Reese Witherspoon: I Was Sexually Assaulted by a Director at 16

Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence spoke of her abuse at the same event.

Oscar-winners Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lawrence both spoke out about their experiences with sexual harassment and assault Monday night at Elle magazine’s Women in Hollywood event. “[I feel] true disgust at the director who assaulted me when I was 16 years old, and anger at the agents and the producers who made me feel that silence was a condition of my employment,” Witherspoon said. “And I wish that I could tell you that was an isolated incident in my career, but sadly it wasn’t. I’ve had multiple experiences of harassment and sexual assault and I don’t speak about them very often.” Lawrence also detailed an incident during a nude lineup that made her feel “trapped.” Tearing up, she said, “In a perfect world, every human being should have the power to be treated with respect because they’re human.”