Reese Witherspoon opens up about being sexually assaulted by a director at 16

Last week's stories about Harvey Weinstein were disgusting and unsettling, but the collective wave of nausea surrounding his actions and how many people were complicit in them has started a conversation in Hollywood and beyond.

Reese Witherspoon, while speaking at Monday's Elle Women in Hollywood event, revealed that she was sexually assaulted by a director at the age of 16 and buried it for years fearing judgment and isolation.

“[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,” she she said.

Actresses like Jennifer Lawrence and America Ferrera also shared their stories at the event, joining dozens who have come forward since the first Weinstein news.

Witherspoon began by saying that it had been a hard week for women in Hollywood and around the world while facing the realities of sexism and sexual harassment that women face every day.

“I have my own experiences that have come back to me very vividly," she said. "And I find it really hard to sleep, hard to think, hard to communicate a lot of the feelings that I’ve been having about anxiety, about being honest, the guilt for not speaking up earlier.”

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“I wish that I could tell you that was an isolated incident in my career, but sadly it wasn’t," she continued, per People. "I’ve had multiple experiences of harassment and sexual assault and I don’t speak about them very often.”

Witherspoon said she was inspired by the solidarity she witnessed by women in her industry and all over the internet in speaking out about their experiences and using the hashtag #MeToo. She felt encouraged by the conversation and the movement – encouraged not only to speak out, but to believe that things will improve.

“I have just spoken to so many actresses and writers, particularly women, who have had similar experiences and many of them have bravely gone public with their stories," Witherspoon concluded in her remarks. "That truth is very encouraging to me and everyone out there in the world because you can only heal by telling the truth."

h/t People