Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart reveals she was sexually coerced at 16
Riverdale star Lili Reinhart has opened up about being sexually coerced when she was only 16-years-old. The actress spoke out about the ordeal on Instagram.
Alongside a post from the Why Don’t We Discuss page on Sexual Coercion, she wrote: “Wow it’s crazy that I’m just hearing about this term. This is what happened to me when I was 16 and I never quite knew how to explain it.”
Sexual coercion is defined as the act of using subtle pressure, trickery, emotional force, drugs or alcohol, to force sexual contact with someone against their will and includes persistent attempts to have sexual contact from someone who has already refused.
It is believed 1 in 6 women have experienced sexual coercion at some point in their lifetime.
Reinhart has previously spoken out about being a victim of sexual assault after the #MeToo movement. The actress penned a harrowing piece titled, ‘In light of the Harvey Weinstein allegations’, in which she revealed she was sexually harassed by a former co-worker.
She shared, “All that matters is that he tried to force himself on me when we were on a date. I had to stop him and say 'No, I don't want that,' and 'I can't do that.' I physically walked away from the situation before it could get any worse. I remember feeling like this was a scene right out of a horror movie."
"Thinking back on it now, the situation is hard for me to swallow. I was so young and didn't know how to handle the situation. I just knew how wrong it felt and that I had been violated. This guy proceeded to tell me that it was my fault for leading him on. Saying that 'I seemed like a sexual girl and that I'd be down for it.' That I misled him."
To speak to someone about past assault or abuse, please contact the National 24-Hour Helpline on 1 800 77 8888.
