News anchor and journalist Connie Chung shared on Wednesday that she was sexually assaulted about 50 years ago in an op-ed piece for The Washington Post. The piece was written as a letter to Christine Blasey Ford, who’s currently under intense scrutiny for accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.
“I, too, was sexually assaulted — not 36 years ago but about 50 years ago,” wrote Chung. “I have kept my dirty little secret to myself. Silence for five decades.”
The Chinese American reporter wrote that she was molested in college by her family doctor, the very man who delivered her in 1946.
“The exact date and year are fuzzy. But details of the event are vivid — forever seared in my memory,” she wrote. “Am I sure who did it? Oh yes, 100 percent.”
Chung said that she went to see her doctor, whose office was in his home, to ask for contraception and that he assaulted her during what was supposed to be a gynecological examination.
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“I did not report him to authorities. It never crossed my mind to protect other women,” wrote Chung. “All I wanted to do was bury the incident in my mind and protect my family.”
Chung, who’s worked for CNN, NBC, ABC, and CBS, joins Padma Lakshmi and Patti Davis on the growing list of high-profile women who are sharing their sexual assault stories in support of Dr. Ford.
President Trump questioned why Dr. Ford didn’t report the assault when it allegedly happened 36 years ago. This encouraged many women to come forward with their own stories of sexual assault, some using the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport on social media, highlighting how hard it can be for victims to speak up due to the immense shame, fear, and difficulties they may face.
Those trying to push Kavanaugh’s nomination through have also questioned why Dr. Ford doesn’t remember all the exact details of the encounter, but it’s not uncommon for women to struggle with remembering details of an assault, according to The New York Times.
“I am writing to you because I know that exact dates, exact years are insignificant. We remember exactly what happened to us and who did it to us. We remember the truth forever,” added Chung. “Bravo, Christine, for telling the truth.”
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