It's been an "intense" couple of days for actress Lucy DeCoutere.
The former "Trailer Park Boys" star was the first woman to publicly reveal her name in describing her alleged encounter with ex-CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi. She and one other women has so far revealed their names while the rest of the woman have chosen to do so anonymously. (Reva Seth, another women who says Ghomeshi abused her, came out with her story on The Huffington Post Canada on Thursday.)
DeCoutere told The Toronto Star that she was slapped and choked by Ghomeshi without provocation, warning or any consent from her.
After laying low for a day, DeCoutere posted a few paragraphs of encouragement on her Facebook profile. She also thanked the public for their kindness, even though she was bracing for the worst:
I am checking in after a really intense day. There has been no time to really read what is on any social media but what I have seen has an outpouring of compassion, caring and concern for the folks who are living with the scars by intimate violence. This obviously directly impacts the cases involving Jian but it has become apparent that the scope of this is far broader. If Jesse Brown, Kevin Donovan and the initial anonymous four had not got the conversation started, no one (across this world, apparently)would have spent the day considering how much it costs people impacted by aggression to talk. They are the braves. Props goes to them. I've been so humbled to see their support grow. Thanks to people who allowed these stories to change their thinking. Thanks to Nobu who nudged me to tell my anecdote. Without his encouragement, I'd never have thought my story would matter.
I expected to be destroyed by telling my anecdote and was braced for it. I was not prepared for all the kindness, which I am actually finding much harder to process. Neither was I prepared to see the difference in the climate regarding these allegations. Reva Seth's story literally winded me. I wish she had nothing to add to this piece, but I am so so glad that, after a decade,
If you have been carrying a secret, now is a good time to share it with someone you trust. If that person is me, I'll keep your story safe. That is what private messages are for. #ibelieveyou #ibelievereva #ibelievelucy