In a new interview with Brie Larson for The Edit, Jane Fonda opened up about the "extent to which a patriarchy takes a toll on females" and revealed that she was once raped.
"I've been raped. I've been sexually abused as a child. And I've been fired because I wouldn't sleep with my boss," she said. "I always thought it was my fault. That I didn't do or say the right thing."
In a 2012 episode of "Oprah's Master Class," Fonda spoke about learning that her mother had been sexually abused. Fonda was 12 years old when her mother committed suicide.
Fonda, 79, said that her past led her to become an activist for women's rights. According to People magazine, she is a proud supporter of the V-Day movement, which works to end violence against girls and women. She also opened the Jane Fonda Center for Adolescent Reproductive Heath in 2001 which works to prevent teen pregnancy.
"I know young girls who've been raped and didn't even know it was rape. They think, 'It must have been because I said 'no' the wrong way,'" she said.
Fonda said that she hopes that through her work, she can help abuse victims “realize that [rape and abuse is] not our fault. We were violated, and it’s not right.”
Read more at People.
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