Trigger warning: This article contains references to sexual abuse.
Justin Baldoni is opening up about the sexual assault he suffered at the hands of one of his ex-girlfriends. The It Ends With Us actor-director appeared on an extensive episode of Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail podcast that debuted on December 4. He spoke candidly for the first time this year about being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, among other topics.
At one point during the podcast, Baldoni revealed she felt conflicted after her toxic relationship in college. He revealed that he met a “beautiful young woman” while attending Long Beach State and fell into a romantic relationship with her because he was trying to fill the void he felt when he was a regular young adult. , He felt he was not good enough.
Baldoni shared, “It was a very dysfunctional relationship and I made myself and my personality what she wanted.” Baldoni, now recognizing his actions as a manifestation of manipulation by his girlfriend, recalled that he had lost all sense of humor while in that relationship, and after a point “it all became very emotionally abusive. Went”.
The Jane the Virgin star said that after “experiencing sexual trauma” in his relationship, he struggled with the misfortune for most of his life, largely because he was conditioned by society to believe that a woman should not sexually abuse a man. can do; It can always be the other way around.
Also read: It End With Us director Justin Baldoni reveals why he didn’t want to star in his own film
The star, who has previously spoken openly about his Baha’i faith, said he was hoping to save himself for marriage, and that’s as detailed as his story gets.
Baldoni said that limits can always be crossed and that is what happened to him, although he did not accept it immediately and forced himself to think that everything that happened happened with his consent.
However, one day, with the help of his therapist, Baldoni is able to accept and overcome his experience.
The actor shared on the podcast that the relationship ended with cheating and infidelity, after which he dropped out of college and moved to LA to pursue acting.
Also read: It Ends With Us 2: Has drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni killed the sequel?
Baldoni is now married to his wife Emily, and the couple have two children, Mya, 9, and Maxwell, 7.
Baldoni’s latest film, It Ends With Us, which deals with similar issues of abuse and gaslighting in relationships, will arrive on Netflix on December 9, about four months after its release in theaters.
In addition to Baldoni, the flick stars Blake Lively and Brandon Sklenar. It is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover.
If you need support or you know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please contact your nearest mental health expert, NGO or talk to someone about it. There are many helplines available for this.
Also read: Justin Baldoni claims that Gina Rodriguez stood by him as a pillar amid the controversies that ended with us; calls it ‘family’
