Teri Hatcher revealed on Tuesday that she was sexually abused by an uncle as a child but kept it secret until he was arrested years later for molestin
- March 9, 2006
AceShowbiz -
In a bid to fix the things up, Teri Hatcher has had the right decision. The "Desperate Housewives" star has on Tuesday March 7, 2006 revealed to Vanity Fair that she was sexually molested by an uncle 35 years ago, but kept the abuse a secret until recently.
In an interview appearing in the magazine's cover story, on newsstands Friday, the 41 years-old actress said how she was haunted by the 2002 suicide of Sarah Van Cleemput, a 14-year-old girl who also was molested by the uncle, Richard Hayes Stone. Afraid that her uncle might avoid prosecution, Hatcher made the decision to tell the prosecutors her own story of sexual abuse and put aside the fears that her claims might be viewed as a bid for attention from a washed-up actress trying to revive her career.
"I was just blown over by this girl's pain," Hatcher said recalling back the dark side of her past life. "I thought, 'Boy, that's really close to being me.' Any day of the week, I could feel that sort of pain. I haven't tried to kill myself, but I've certainly thought about it, and then I feel guilty about thinking about it, because what's so terrible about my life?"
Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Chuck Gillingham credits Hatcher for putting her uncle to a 14-year prison sentence. "Without Teri, this case would have been dismissed," he told the magazine.
