Unfortunately, several famous actors, actresses and writers have been the victim of incest. Some of these celebrities have bravely spoken about their abuse in candid interviews, and others have been a source of inspiration for other sexual abuse survivors.
Who is the most famous victim of incest? Teri Hatcher tops our list. In 2007, Teri Hatcher penned an editorial in which she revealed that she was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her uncle. "I tell you this story with trepidation," she wrote. "But my fear is far outweighed by what I know is my obligation to help other victims of sexual abuse to not feel alone.” In 1991, Roseanne Barr revealed that she was a victim of incest as well.
Anne Heche was sexually abused by her father when she was a child. She contracted herpes as a result of the incest. In 2001, Billy Connolly spoke about being sexually abused by his father. Other famous incest survivors include Ashley Judd, Rita Hayworth, and Drew Carey.
Sometimes, it really helps survivors of sexual abuse to talk about their stories publicly, without fear or shame. Check out our list of famous victims of incest below, and be sure to let us know what you think about their bravery and honesty in the comment section below.
15 Famous Survivors of Incest,
Anne Heche
Anne Heche was sexually abused by her father when she was a child. She contracted herpes as a result of the incest, and later found out that her father was dying of AIDs. Luckily, the abuse stopped before he contracted the virus, but Heche says she feared for her life while she waited to get the test results back.
Heche withdrew inside her own mind in order to cope with the abuse. She invented an alternate personality called Celestia, who she believed was a version of her from another planet. Celestia was from out of this world, so nothing bad could ever happen to her. Heche lived with this split personality and a multitude of other mental illnesses for 31 years until she finally sought help.
Ashley Judd
In 2015, Ashley Judd wrote an op/ed about surviving being raped by two adult family members when she was a child, "I am a survivor of sexual assault, rape and incest. I am greatly blessed that in 2006, other thriving survivors introduced me to recovery. I seized it."
Judd goes on to discuss her recovery process, and how, through therapy, she was able to confront the trolls on Twitter who were threatening sexual violence against her.
Billy Connolly
In 2001, Billy Connolly spoke about being sexually abused by his father. He said that his father used to come home drunk and sexually assault him almost every night. The comedian had a hard time with it, because he felt conflicted by his father's combination of good traits and bad traits.
Mackenzie Phillips
In 2009, Mackenzie Phillips revealed that she was raped by her father, John Phillips, and then continued a consensual sexual relationship with him for 10 years. The first rape occurred when she was 18 years old - she had passed out in a hotel room while she was on drugs, and her father, the lead singer of the Mamas and the Papas, sexually assaulted her.
They continued their sexual relationship for years, until Phillips got sober. His death in 2001 caused her to relapse, even though she forgave him on his death bed.
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was the victim of incest by her own father. For a long time, Orson Welles was the only person who knew about her sexual assault, until her she told her daughter about it many years later.
Roseanne Barr
In 1991, Roseanne Barr revealed that she was a victim of incest. Her father molested her from the time she was a young girl until she turned 17. Her mother would mentally and physically abuse her as well.
Sandra Dee
Sandra Dee was sexually abused by her step-father growing up. She says that he used to rape her multiple times a day, every day, throughout her entire childhood. She developed an eating disorder, and nearly killed herself on several occasions due to malnutrition.
Teri Hatcher
In 2007, Teri Hatcher penned an editorial in which she revealed that she was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her uncle. "I tell you this story with trepidation," she wrote. "But my fear is far outweighed by what I know is my obligation to help other victims of sexual abuse to not feel alone."
When a young girl committed suicide, and implicated her uncle in the suicide note, Hatcher knew that she had to take action. She didn't want her uncle to get away with what he did to another young girl. Hatcher gave her statement to the DA and the detective working on the case. It was enough to convince her uncle to plead guilty to his crimes, and he was sentenced to jail.
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf was sexually abused by her half-brother throughout her childhood and adolescence. There were tons of clues in her lifestyle that suggested she had been abused - her suicidal tendencies, depression, and the images of drowning that seemed to haunt her. Woolf eventually did kill herself, and stated that she felt that she, and other children in the Victorian era, had been grossly mistreated.
Drew Carey
Drew Carey was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a family member when his was a child. He wrote about his experiences with incest in his memoir.