Gabrielle Union Opens Up About Being Raped

“Being Mary Jane” star, Gabrielle Union, visited The View recently and in her interview discussed being raped at 19 years old while working at a Payless shoe store. Gabrielle Union was closing the store when she was raped by the former employee. The former employee had robbed other stores and raped another employee but Payless neglected to notify other stores. Gabby says that she successfully sued Payless for negligence. 

I thought this was very important to post considering the Darren Sharper drama and the alarming number of WOMEN who blamed OTHER WOMEN for being sexually assaulted. 

 Gabrielle explained,  

“I got sick of people letting me off the hook,” explains Union. “Being a victim is so comfortable. People give you attention, people are nurturing… When something catastrophic happens, everyone rallies around you.”

 

She adds, “But it’s not for something positive. I hated that. I hated feeling like a victim. I hated the cloak of victimhood. “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, and that’s the road I opted to take.”

I for one commend Gabrielle. I had no idea she had been raped and I could not imagine being in that situation.  Now, before you say it, is this the exact same situation as Darren Sharper? No. Darren Sharper and Gabrielle were linked to one another then abruptly broke up, could this be why? The real issue here is that someone can and will always find a way to blame the victim. I’m sure somewhere someone is asking why a 19 year old female is closing a retail store alone knowing how dangerous that can be. Some idiot may also say that she knew him and invited him in and had she not done so, she wouldn’t have been raped.

Point is, stop blaming the victim. Rape is NEVER okay despite the circumstances or setting.