Meryl Streep Opens up About Her Experience With ‘Physical Violence’

In a recent award ceremony speech, iconic actress Meryl Streep opened up about multiple instances of “physical violence” she encountered.

While speaking at the Committee to Protect Journalists awards on Wednesday, Streep thanked journalists for inserting themselves in harm’s way to be the nation’s “first line of defense against tyranny and state-sanctioned news.”

She then shared a couple of personally harrowing experiences, as reported by PEOPLE.

“I do know something about real terror — the two times in my life when I was threatened and dealt with real physical violence, I learned something about life that I wouldn’t have known otherwise and I was lucky because my instincts served me well,” Streep said.

“In one instance, I played dead and waited until the blows stopped — watching like people say you do from about 50 feet above from where I was beaten,” the actress continued.

The 68-year-old also recounted a terrifying story that also involved iconic singer Cher.

“And in the second instance, someone else was being abused and I just went completely nuts and went after this man. Ask Cher — she was there. And the thug ran away, it was a miracle,” Steep revealed.

Streep and Cher both starred in Silkwood, a workplace drama, in 1983. Both actresses earned Oscar nominations for their roles.

Confirming Streep’s story, Cher was once quoted as saying that she and Streep once saved a woman “from a large mugger in New York City.”

The two will once again share the screen together when they star in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.