Madonna has shared her horrifying ordeal with sexual assault, and told of how she feared being “humiliated” and “violated” by the reporting process that is, according to her, “just not worth it.”
Trigger warning: This post deals with sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers.
This week, Madonna spoke about being raped at knife point as a teenager. Yet, she said never reported the assault for the fear of reliving the humiliation and pain of the assault itself.
Sadly, this is a sentiment echoed by rape victims all over the world.
Appearing on The Howard Stern Show to promote her Rebel Heart album, Madonna revealed she was young, trustworthy and a stranger to her new hometown when she was attacked in 1973.
At the age of 19, Madonna left her native Michigan with $35 in her pocket and moved to Manhattan, where, within the first year, her apartment was broken into three times, she was held up at gunpoint, and raped at knifepoint.
“I was going to a dance class and the door was locked and I needed money for the payphone,” the now 56-year-old said.
“[A man] gave it to me … he was a very friendly guy. I trusted everybody.”
He convinced her to make the call from his apartment across the street, where he eventually raped her.
However, when asked if she reported the encounter, Madonna said: “You’ve already been violated. It’s just not worth it. It’s too much humiliation.”