Valerie Bertinelli is speaking out for the first time about her experience of being sexually abused when she was just 11 years old.
The “One Day at a Time” alum, 65, opened up about the shocking incident in a new interview with People published Wednesday to promote her upcoming memoir, “Getting Naked.”
“It’s taken me 10 years at least,” Bertinelli told the outlet regarding her decision to come forward more than 50 years later. “The very first time I said it out loud to my therapist, I thought ‘I’m going to feel better now.’”
Although the “Touched by an Angel” alum admitted that “it got worse before it got better” and she “maybe ate a little bit more” and “drank a little bit more” to distract herself, she ultimately decided to “deal with” her feelings.
“You can deal with them or not. And I chose to deal with them,” she said. “I don’t feel shame about it anymore. I’m pissed off that it happened. Nobody deserves that.”
But Bertinelli also shared that she “had no plans to reveal” she was sexually abused at the age of 11, and “Getting Naked” – which is out March 10 – was initially supposed to be a “book about teaching people how to love themselves.”
“I guess because I’m healing from it, it’s not so scary anymore,” she told People. “I can say it out loud. I was sexually assaulted. It doesn’t feel like it owns me anymore.”
The Golden Globe winner also discussed why she “purposely” opened the chapter of her book about her sexual assault with a picture of herself at 11.
“Because that was the little girl that was sexually abused,” she explained. “And it boggles my mind that this little girl was taken advantage of that way.”
She added, “It boggles my mind because it’s still happening … and I’m furious about it. And we need to start speaking up and saying, ‘Enough.’”
Bertinelli’s reps did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
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