Denise Richards was told she would be ‘blacklisted’ if she s
Denise Richards was told she would be ‘blacklisted’ if she spoke about sexual harassment that she endured
Hollywood actress Denise Richards was threatened with being “blacklisted” if she spoke publicly about the sexual harassment she endured as a young actress
LOS ANGELES — 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”.
