Ellen DeGeneres Has Opened Up About Being Sexually Abused By Her Stepfather

Ellen DeGeneres has opened up about her experinece of sexual abuse in an effort to educate others.

The chat show host spoke on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman about how the man who was in a relationship with her mother Betty DeGeneres was ‘a very bad man’.

Ellen said that when she was around 15 or 16 her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and her stepfather used the diagnoses to manipulate her.

“He told me when she was out of town that he’d felt a lump in her breast and needed to feel my breasts because he didn’t want to upset her, but he needed to feel mine,” Entertainment Tonight reports her saying.

“’Cause I didn’t know about bodies, I don’t know that breasts are all different and… Anyway, he convinced me that he needs to feel my breasts and then he tries to do it again another time, and then another time.”

She also revealed that her mother’s partner tried to break down her bedroom door and she climbed out her window because she knew “it was going to go more to something.” she adds: “I didn’t want to tell my mother ‘cause I was protecting her and I knew that would ruin her happiness.”

“I’m angry at myself because, you know, I didn’t.. I was too weak to stand up to.. I was 15 or 16,” she revealed.

The 61-year-old explained that she was getting honest about it to educate and support other women.

“It’s a really horrible, horrible story and the only reason I’m actually going to go into detail about it is because I want other girls to not ever let someone do that.”

She added: “We [women] just don’t feel like we’re worthy, or we’re scared to have a voice, and we’re scared to say no.”

“That’s the only reason I think it’s important to talk about it because there’s so many young girls and it doesn’t matter how old you are. When I see people speaking out, especially now, it angers me when victims aren’t believed, because we just don’t make stuff up. And I like men, but there are so many men that get away with so much.”

The Rape Crisis Network provides support and information. Visit rcni.ie

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