Don Lemon Gets Emotional Revealing Close Family Member’s Past Sexual Assault
CNN’s Don Lemon returned from a week-long vacation this week and stepped into a particularly piqued news cycle with almost too many narratives to keep a handle on. Credit to Lemon for not missing a beat on the ridiculously fluid story focused on embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the multiple sexual misconducts allegations that have recently imperiled his confirmation to America’s highest court.
During a segment regarding allegations of assault, Lemon played a video of his confessing his own victimization saying “It’s tough to — even now it’s tough,” adding “I did later write about it in my book, and I’ve talked about it since. But it’s never easy.”
“Why is it so hard to talk about? Well, part of it is fear,” Lemon explained. “And part of it is doubt. Will I be believed? Will I be blamed? Will I have evidence? Do I have to relive what happened? Will everyone judge me? And if I speak out will it even matter? I’ve been open about my experience with sexual assault, and I know firsthand that no one ever wants to come forward. Even to family, friends, or loved ones, let alone the entire county.”
But it was his sharing of a close family member’s own assault experience that brought raw emotion from the CNN host.
“Out of the blue she texted me and she said, this is a quote, ‘I believe her because I am a product of the ‘Me too’ movement,’” he recalled. “And I texted right back and I said, ‘What? No way. Why didn’t you say anything?’ And she replied, ‘Shame. I thought he loved me.’”
The allegations brought forth by Dr. Christine Ford and Deborah Ramirez have potentially derailed Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court bid, but they have also started a national conversation about sexual assault, and how we as a society can best handle allegations by survivors.
Supporters of Kavanaugh have strongly suggested that recent allegations are part of a coordinated smear campaign designed only for political reasons.
Credit to Lemon for openly sharing his own experiences in such a public forum.
Watch the clip above courtesy of CNN.
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