Los Angeles, Feb 23 Hollywood actress Denise Richards was threatened with being “blacklisted” if she spoke publicly about the sexual harassment she endured as a young actress.
The 54-year-old soared to fame thanks to her part in 1998 neo-noir thriller ‘Wild Things’, which famously saw her kiss co-star Neve Campbell, 51, in a swimming pool, and she has now opened up about how she did not come forward or file an abuse lawsuit early in her career due to fears of being ostracised from the industry, reports ‘Female First UK’.
She told ‘.People’ magazine, “I was told I would be blacklisted. I felt so vulnerable. This was the career I wanted to do. To be told that you’re never going to work in an industry that you are passionate about, it’s a hard thing”.
The actress also reflected on how the industry has changed in recent years, particularly in light of the #MeToo movement.
She further mentioned, “I am glad that women are able to have more of a voice and be more protected. “If that happened at this age, I would handle it differently, but I was so young and an unknown and (just) starting out”.
As per ‘Female First UK’, the actress, who has three daughters, Sami, 20, Lola, 19, and Eloise, 13, said becoming a mother has shifted her perspective.
She went on, “I look at my daughters doing our show and being such strong women. If I had that, I think I would’ve been able to handle it a little differently”.
The actress also opened up about past trauma while appearing on season three of Fox’s ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’ last month.
She described how a past sexual assault had shaped her responses to being scared, adding, “I really want to learn how to not be overwhelmed by fear – I’ve been through traumatic situations that have been very terrifying for me. I want to learn how to deal with those issues and be stronger”.
During the programme, the actress recalled a road rage incident in November 2022, when shots were fired at a truck driven by her 52-year-old husband Aaron Phypers.
She said, “He didn’t want me going alone, thank God, and we were physically shot at in his truck, and I sat on the floor and was just literally, I peed. I was so scared. I froze”.
She also spoke about being sexually assaulted as a teenager, saying, “The first time I ever experienced that I was 15 and I noticed a man following me. He came up from behind me, put his hand around my mouth, grabbed my v*****, and started dragging me, and I froze, like I couldn’t even scream for help”.
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