HER EVER SINCE. ASHLEY IS HERE FOR HER FIRST TV
INTERVIEW SINCE BREAKING HER
SILENCE.
SILENCE. FIRST, HER STORY.
>> Reporter: ASHLEY WAGNER IS
ONE OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN FACES
IN U.S. FIGURE SKATING.
>> ASHLEY WAGNER.
>> ASHLEY WAGNER.
>> MAKING HER MARK ON THE ICE BY
WINNING THREE NATIONAL TITLES.
>> THAT WAS PERFECTION.
>> Reporter: AND SKATING HER WAY
TO THE 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS IN
SOCHI
SOCHI SOCHI, LANDING A BRONZE MEDAL
FOR TEAM USA.
WAGNER IS NO STRANGER TO THE
SPOTLIGHT.
SPOTLIGHT. SHE’S NOW MAKING HEADLINES FOR
DIFFERENT REASONS.
DIFFERENT REASONS. >> I WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.
>> Reporter: JUST LAST WEEK IN A
FIRST PERSON ACCOUNT FOR "USA
TODAY," WAGNER REVEALING THE
PAINFUL DETAILS OF A PARTY SHE
ATTENDED WHEN SHE WAS JUST 17
YEARS OLD.
YEARS OLD. >> IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT WHEN I FELT HIM CRAWL INTO
MY BED.
MY BED. HE STARTED KISSING MY NECK.
I PRETENDED TO BE DEEP ASLEEP,
HOPING HE WOULD STOP.
HE DIDN’T.
HE DIDN’T. >> Reporter: HE WAS JOHN
COUGHLIN, ANOTHER FIGURE SKATER
WHO DIED BY SUICIDE EARLIER THIS
YEAR WHILE UNDER INVESTIGATION
BY THE U.S. CENTER FOR SAFE
SPORT AMID ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL
MISCONDUCT.
MISCONDUCT. WAGNER EXPLAINING WHY SHE CAME
FORWARD TO "USA TODAY."
>> I HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE.
TO STAY QUIET OR TO PUSH FORWARD
AND DEMAND CHANGE IN THE SPORT
THAT I LOVE.
I CHOSE TO SPEAK UP.
>> ASHLEY WAGNER JOINS US NOW.
GOOD MORNING, ASHLEY.
THANKS FORRING BE INGBEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> NOW THAT YOU’VE COME FORWARD
AS THE HIGHEST PROFILE STATE
SCATHE
SCATHE SKATER TO DO THIS, DO YOU THINK
OTHERS WILL FIND THE COURAGE TO
COME FORWARD, NOT JUST AGAINST
WHAT JOHN DID BUT FROM OTHERS?
>> I TRULY HOPE SO.
I THINK FOR ME, THE MAIN REASON
I DECIDED TO COME FORWARD WITH
MY STORY WAS TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS.
THAT YOU CAN MAKE A STAND FOR
WHAT YOU DESERVE, THE WAY WOMEN
AND MEN IN SPORT AND THIS WORLD
DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE.
AFTER COMING FORWARD WITH MY
STORY, I RECEIVED THOUSANDS OF
MESSAGES FROM MEN AND WOMEN
TELLING ME THAT THEY EXPERIENCED
SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR AND THAT
THEY -- I WAS THE FIRST PERSON
THEY HAD TOLD.
FOR ME, EVERY SINGLE MESSAGE I
GET LIKE THAT JUST PROVES TO ME
THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION
TO COME FORWARD.
PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL LIKE THEY
CAN TALK ABOUT THIS.
IT IS DISGUSTING HOW COMMON IT
IS.
IS. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. AND THIS HAPPEN TO YOU WHEN YOU
WERE 17.
WERE 17. >> MM-HMM.
>> MM-HMM. >> WHY NOW?
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO COME
FORWARD NOW?
FORWARD NOW? WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT OTHER
PEOPLE HAVE DONE THAT KIND OF
GAVE YOU THE COURAGE TO COME
FORWARD?
FORWARD? >> SO WHEN ALL OF THIS KIND OF
STARTED TO GO DOWN, JOHN HAD A
COUPLE OF WOMEN COME FORWARD
ACCUSING HIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.
I WAS CONSIDERING AT THE TIME
STEPPING FORWARD JUST TO KIND OF
ADD A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR TO
THESE WOMEN’S CLAIMS.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN’T COME
FORWARD SOON ENOUGH.
THEN IN JANUARY, I WATCHED ALYSA
LIU, OUR CURRENT NATIONAL
CHAMPION, SHE’S 13 YEARS OLD, 13
AT THE SENIOR LEVEL, COMING INTO
THIS WORLD THAT I FIND SO
EXTREMELY FLAWED, AND IT MADE ME
SICK TO MY STOMACH.
I FEEL LIKE IT IS MY JOB, AS
SOMEONE IN THE -- IN THIS
GENERATION OF SKATING, TO MAKE
THE SPORT SAFER.
I KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE.
I KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
THAT 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL DOES NOT
DESERVE TO GO THROUGH THE WORLD
THE WAY THAT I DID.
IT WAS IN THAT MOMENT WHEN I SAW
HER BECOME NATIONAL CHAMPION
THAT I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO
COME FORWARD.
COME FORWARD. I STARTED WRITING DOWN MY STORY.
I LOOKTOOK ABOUT A MONTH TO GET
OUT, AND THEN I APPROACHED U.S.
FIGURE SKATING IN FEBRUARY AND
JUST SAID, I’M PUTTING THIS
STORY OUT WITH OR WITHOUT YOU
GUYS.
GUYS. LET’S DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE THIS A
BETTER PLACE.
BETTER PLACE. YOU GUYS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
THIS ENVIRONMENT.
THIS ENVIRONMENT. >> BEFORE HIS DEATH, WHILE HE
WAS UNDER INFORMATION, "USA
TODAY" REPORTED JOHN COUGHLIN
EMAILED THIS FOLLOWING
STATEMENT.
STATEMENT. WHILE I WISH I COULD SPEAK
FREELY ABOUT THE UNFOUNDED
ALLEGATIONS LEVYIED AGAINST ME,
THE ALLEGATION ITSELF STATED AN
ALLEGATION IN NO WAY CONSTITUTES
A FINDING BY SAFE SPORT OR THERE
IS ANY MERIT TO THE ALLEGATION.
YOU WERE RELUCTANT TO NAME HIM.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY YOU
ULTIMATELY DECIDED TO GO AHEAD
AND ACTUALLY PUT A NAME TO THIS?
>> WELL, I DIDN’T WANT TO NAME
HIM ORIGINALLY.
HIM ORIGINALLY. I GENUINELY, FOR QUITE A LONG
TIME, WAS DEAD SET ON NOT
PUTTING HIS NAME OUT THERE.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT AS A WOMAN
COMING FORWARD, IF I DON’T HAVE
A NAME, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
QUESTION IF IT IS TRUE, WHO
REALLY DID THIS, WHAT AM I
ACTUALLY DOING TO PROTECT
CHILDREN IF I CAN’T NAME THIS
PERSON.
PERSON. I KNEW AT THE END OF THE DAY,
THE NAME WAS ONE PART OF THE
PUZZLE.
PUZZLE. WHAT I’M REALLY TRYING TO TALK
ABOUT ISN’T WHO DID THIS TO ME
BUT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWED
IT TO HAPPEN.
THAT’S WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
>> EARLIER THIS WEEK, SIMONE
BILES SAID USA GYMNASTICS HAD
ONE THING TO DO, PROTECT THE
ATHLETES, AND THEY FAILED.
OUR EXEC FIFUTIVE PRODUCER SPOKE
U.S. FIGURE SKATING, WHO SAID
THEY FEEL THEY DO A GOOD JOB BUT
DOESN’T MEAN IMPROVEMENTS CAN’T
BE MADE.
BE MADE. YOU BROUGHT UP A POINT, WHEN YOU
HAVE 13-YEAR-OLDS AND
22-YEAR-OLDS IN THE SAME PLACE,
THERE NEEDS TO BE, WHEN YOU’RE
TRAVELING, AN OUTSIDE CHAPERONE,
SOMEONE WHO IS NOT YOUR JUDGE,
SOMEONE WHO YOU CAN BE HONEST
AND OPEN WITH.
>> WELL, THAT WAS ONE OF THE
FIRST CHANGES I WENT TO U.S.
FIGURE SKATING WITH.
OUR TEAM LEADERS ARE TYPICALLY
JUDGES AND OFFICIALS IN THE
SPORT.
SPORT. IMAGINE SOMETHING WEIRD HAPPENS
AT A SKATING PARTY OR SOMETHING
AT A COMPETITION, I’M NOT GOING
TO GO TELL MY CHAPERON WHAT
HAPPENED TO ME WHEN SHE’S GOING
TO BE ON MY PANEL JUDGING ME AT
NATIONALS.
NATIONALS. IT DOESN’T ALLOW FOR ANY
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. U.S. FIGURE SKATING HAS MADE AN
INCREDIBLE CHANGE, IN THAT CHAM
ROAN
ROAN CHAPERONES ARE NOW TRAINED TO
PROTECT KIDS.
PROTECT KIDS. IT IS NOT ENOUGH.
IT IS A START, BUT CHANGE NEEDS
TO HAPPEN QUICKER.
EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT GOES BY
WITHOUT A MASSIVE CHANGE BEING
MADE IS ANOTHER KID BEING PUT IN
AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION.
>> ASHLEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
THE YOUNGCOURAGE AND FOR BEING H
AS WELL.
AS WELL. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> 23IF YOU’RE A SURVIVOR OF
NATIONAL ASSAULT, CALL 1-