AnnaLynne McCord has been a huge part of the Somaly Mam Foundation, which is an organization that aims to end modern-day slavery and human trafficking around the world. Not only does she travel to Cambodia each Christmas to spend time with victimized young women and girls, but on Sept. 22, McCord hosted the Life is Love event in Los Angeles for the foundation, revealing that she herself has been sexually abused.
"Has anyone ever been raped? Sexually abused? Not said 'no' when you felt you didn't have the right to?" the 25-year-old actress asked the crowd, which was filled with her "90210" co-stars, including Shenae Grimes, Jessica Stroup, Matt Lanter, Justin Deeley and Ryan Eggold. "I know what it feels like," McCord added.
And although she didn't address the situation onstage, McCord talked with Us Weekly after the event and told her personal story:
"I had a very similar experience to what these girls go through 20 times a night. It happened to me once by somebody that I knew, and it is a very interesting thing to feel that you do not have the voice to say 'no.' It wasn't an attack or anything like that -- I just had no voice. I did not know how to say, 'I don't want this. Please do not do this to me.'"
McCord continued to discuss the uncomfortable night, saying, "it was a situation where I found myself in my own home being hospitable, and that hospitality was taken advantage of at an extreme level. I did not have a voice, and now I do, and I'm practicing using my voice for others. Finally I can say I was taken advantage of -- not from my own shame that I did something to deserve that -- and now I can have a clear conscience."
Her bravery has inspired many, especially her co-star Grimes, who tweeted that she was "SO PROUD of my sister @iamannalynnemcc for all her hard work with #somalymam over the years. Her dedication to this cause is incredible."
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