Gabrielle Union on Her Sexual Assault: 'I Hated Feeling Like a Victim'

By Callie Beusman  |  February 25, 2014 | 2:06pm
CelebritiesDirt Bag

Gabrielle Union appeared on The View yesterday and spoke about the process of healing after being raped at gunpoint when she was 19. For her, the path to recovery came through vehemently rejecting the label of “victim” and embracing her status as a survivor.

“Being a victim is so comfortable,” she said. “When something catastrophic happens in your life, everyone rallies around you. You’re getting all of the attention and love and support that you’ve always wanted, but it’s not for something positive. And I hated that. I hated feeling like a victim.” She went on, “I was like, ‘I want to embrace being a survivor, because that’s who I am.’ I wasn’t raised to be coddled. I was raised to be an independent woman, standing on my own two feet.”

Union worked at Payless at the time of her assault; she was raped by a former employee of another Payless, who had robbed the store and raped another employee. She told The View that her power returned when she sued the chain for negligence and went on to urge parents to look into the criminal history of businesses before allowing their children to work there.

Her strength and courage in speaking out is very, very awe-inspiring. [ABC, ONTD]

In an interview with fashion brand Nelly, Leighton Meester said that her role model is Betty Friedan — “she fought for gender equality and wrote the great book The Feminine
Mystique which sparked the beginning of a second-wave feminism.”

She was then promptly asked if she was a feminist, which is a bit redundant since her idol is literally Betty Friedan, and she replied, “Sure. I believe in equal rights for men and women. [ONTD]

The Rihanna–Drake romance plot thickens: in Paris, RiRi disguised herself after getting dinner with him (by placing a bit of fur over her chin, rendering herself nearly unrecognizable). Drake left undetected, fueling rumors that he is a sorcerer. [ONTD]

  • Like everyone else in the world, Bethenny Frankel is relieved about her show’s cancellation. [E!]
  • Rita Ora got a really cool haircut. [E!]
  • David O. Russell spoiled the ending of Anna Karenina for Jennifer Lawrence and she started crying. I can relate to this because one time my friend said to me, “Do you want to know something about Jane Eyre?” and then proceeded to tell me the entire plot. [E!]
  • Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci says that Kim Kardashian is the modern-day Marilyn Monroe. Sure, ok, we can go with that. [E!]
  • Jimmy Kimmel‘s wife (comedy writer Molly McNeary) is pregnant! [NY Daily News]
  • In perhaps technology’s best accomplishment to date, Russell Crowe tweeted at the Pope and asked him to see Noah, which is a new movie about Noah’s Arc. [HuffPo]
  • Beyoncé got some new custom Versace outfits for her Mrs. Carter Tour and looks amazing in them. [HuffPo]
  • Modern-day Marilyn Monroe Kim Kardashian says that it “literally puts [her] in a bad mood” to think about how many ugly shoes her sister Khloe owns. [Gossip Cop]
  • Caleb from Pretty Little Liars Instagrammed a very ethereal picture of his butt. [Gossip Cop]
  • Kaley Cuoco’s husband Instagrammed a less ethereal picture of his stomach before and after pooping AND IT IS FASCINATING. [Just Jared]
  • I would do anything to know what Jaden Smith and Kylie Jenner talk about. Different kinds of rocks? The Godhead? That movie where Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a scientist who gets pregnant? [Just Jared]
  • Lady Gaga wore a sexy Gandalf wig. [ONTD]
  • Julia Roberts dyed her hair blonde. [People]
  • There might be a fifth Shrek movie in the works? [ONTD]
  • One Direction is not breaking up, which apparently means something about the “stuck” that belongs to Harry Styles. [TMZ]

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