You have a late night talk show, and you have a book,
This Will Only Hurt A Little.
And tell us-- there's a lot of personal things in here.
Yeah.
Well, that was one of the things I
felt like, when I got the book deal,
I've been kind of waiting my whole life for someone to ask
me to write a book about myself.
Yeah?
You know what I mean?
So I was ready to go.
But I did want to have it be a little bit revealing,
because I feel like, there are the fun Hollywood stories.
I've been an actor in this business
since I was 19 years old, and there's all that fun stuff.
But I also was really interested in where I came from, and sort
of the harder things in my life that I faced,
and I wanted to put that in there for people as well.
So I did that.
Yes, you did.
Do you want to talk about what you put in there?
Do you not want to talk about it?
No, no it's OK.
I am-- no I--
last week with the Kavanaugh hearings,
I saw Dr. Ford take the stand, and I
write about my own experience being raped at age 14.
And I was so moved by her bravery.
And it wasn't something that I felt
like I was ever going to like blast out on social media.
But when I saw her standing there,
speaking her truth after 30 years,
I was like it's been 25 for me.
And I can do--
I can do this.
We can all do this.
And I feel like it's politically whatever you believe,
I feel like it's a real moment of reckoning for women that we
have sort of collectively carried this burden for so
long.
And it's time to share it.
And let it out.
[APPLAUSE]
So, yeah.
It was hard.
Yeah.
And really, really scary.
And what I said in my Instagram post was, oh, god.
I'm I crier, sorry.
I just-- when I look at like--
I have a 10-year-old.
So when I look at it like that baby, I'm like, seeing my kid.
To be 14 years old, to be that girl,
and for that to happen to her.
Yes.
It's horrible.
Yeah, and it's sadly the most unoriginal horror.
Isn't it?
Yeah.
Is what we're finding.
I was 15, and I had something happen to me.
And when I watched Dr. Ford, anyone who has had something
happen to them, you just get so angry when
someone doesn't believe you, or say why did you wait so long.
It's because we're girls, and we're
taught not to say anything and go along with it.
Yes.
So you at 14, me at 15, god knows
how many people in this audience have
had something happen-- raise your hand
if something's happened to you?
And up I'm sure some people don't want to raise their hand,
but it's like--
I don't know if I would have until last-- like you know,
I mean I've struggled with it for so long.
For so long.
And even when I wrote the chapter in my book,
I had in my head an escape plan, which
was that it doesn't have to go in to the book.
If I if I panic, and don't want to put it out into the world.
But I just feel like we're at this moment in time where--
and I'm so sorry that happened to you.
I'm sorry that happened to all of us,
and if we can do better for our kids
and for the next generation.
And we will, right?
Yes, yes.
To teach our kids to speak up.
Yes.
I know that you didn't tell your mom,
and you have a very cool mom who you were very close with,
but you didn't tell your mom until recently.
I had to tell--
I told my parents and my older sister
five months ago when the book was finished,
and I had come to peace with that I
was going to speak my truth.
And that was really hard.
And I said but mom, I just want you to know,
because she felt like she was a failure.
That she had failed me, and didn't protect me.
And I understand that, being a mother.
But I was like but mom, you're really the hero of my book.
Like, she really is.
She was there for me, and like without her--
like I wouldn't be sitting here with you.
You know?
So I was like you did something right.
I'm like going to talk to Ellen.
You know.
And she's just such a spirit.
Like my mother is such a spirit.
And I think it really comes across in the book.
And I hope that--
I hope that she sees that, that I've tried to honor that.
I'm sure she will.
And the book is-- and I think that this conversation needs
to happen more, and people need to first of all teach
your children to speak up, and don't ever keep something in,
and don't ever be ashamed, and think
that it's your problem and your fault,
because it is never your fault. You were a child.
So read this book, this will help you,
because it will only hurt a little.
And it's available Tuesday, October 16th.
We'll be right back.