Jodie Sweetin Breaks Silence on Being Sexually Assaulted in Midst of Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony at Brett Kavanaugh Hearing

In the midst of Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony at Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing on Thursday, Fuller House star Jodie Sweetin revealed her own past sexual assault, opening up about her alleged experience in an emotional Instagram post.

The post saw Sweetin posing in a camoflauge jacket that read “What doesn’t kill you f—s you up mentally” on the back, with the actress sharing that she stands with Ford.

“I stand with her. I AM her. I was the girl who never reported because I blamed myself,” Sweetin wrote. “I was the woman who never reported because I didn’t want to go through the pain and ridicule. The same sort of pain that I witnessed Dr Christine Blasey Ford walk through today.”

“What we saw today is about a much bigger issue of survivors of sexual assault being persecuted, judged and re-traumatized when they do come forward,” Sweetin continued. “We are told that if it were ‘real,’ we would have reported it at the time. Often when we were merely children or young girls.”

The 36-year-old then shared just a few reasons why women might not feel comfortable coming forward to report a sexual assault, noting that “it was easier to stay quiet.”

“As we grew older and it happened again, we had been trained to remain silent,” Sweetin wrote. “We had learned the lesson that no one will believe us. That even if someone DOES, it holds no consequence. We had watched other women come forward, only to be told “there were no witnesses, so it’s your word against his, knowing that ‘his’ story is always more believed than ‘hers.’”

The mom of two then praised Ford for her bravery during her testimony, writing, “I will not sit still. I will not stay quiet. Although I may never be as brave or as unflinching in the face of such an inquisition as she was today, it has given me hope. That maybe, just maybe, female survivors of sexual assault may be heard. Even if our voice is barely above a whisper.”

On Thursday, Blasey Ford recounted an alleged sexual assault she suffered while in high school, alleging that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while both were teenagers in 1982. A clearly emotional Ford recounted the evening in detail, offering specifics of the alleged assault, which Kavanaugh later denied.

The day also saw multiple female celebrities including Busy Philipps and Patti Murin come forward to share their own experiences of sexual assault, with stars including Alyssa Milano, Padma Lakshmi and more using social media to express their thoughts regarding the hearing.

Photo Credit: Getty / Daniel Zuchnik