Photo Courtesy of E! Online
Trigger Warning: Rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse
Sexism has always been apart of women’s lives everywhere. Society deems it normal for men to crack “harmless” jokes about their bodies, and exploit them both emotionally and sexually, and beat them senseless. Now, I am aware that not every single man on earth performs these acts of horror. And I am also aware that some women do abuse their partners, but according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, domestic violence is typically implemented more by men than women.
Amber Heard, who is in the final process of divorcing husband of two years, Johnny Depp, has recently brought to light the domestic abuse she faced with Depp. Despite the countless evidence (witnesses, restraining order, police involvement, photos, videos, and text messages) that bore the vicious truth of Depp’s violence, no one seemed to believe her. She was immediately deemed an attention seeking gold-digger. The photos of the bruises on her face were seen as makeup, the video where Depp chucks glasses in spite of Heard’s fear was seen as fabricated, and Heard’s entire, heartbreaking story was seen as a way to, morbidly, seek attention from the public.
Bill Cosby, who has been convicted with raping and sexually assaulting nearly 60 women, is still walking free to this day. Although his days of preying on women existed long before, he is only entering the recent infamous trial on behalf of one woman, Andrea Constand. The thirteen-year-long fiasco has finally made it to court this past June, and was unsurprisingly set for a retrial this November.
I remember watching Cosby on my television as a little girl; whether on The Cosby Show reruns or new episodes of Little Bill, he brought joy to my life. Who knew such a friendly face on children’s TV lived a double life as a rapist.
Back in December, 2016, news broke that star Blac Chyna unexpectedly left former boyfriend Rob Kardashian only one month after having their baby, Dream. Social media platforms flooded with controversy, confusion, and rumors. Some thought this was just a hoax for attention, others chose to believe this situation held truth.
Two days ago, Kardashian posted explicit nude photos of Chyna onto his Instagram. The caption under the posted photo entails Kardashian’s viewpoint of the entire situation, and blamed Chyna for cheating on him. No matter the circumstance, Kardashian has no right to expose post private photos of Chyna to his social media. However, California has strict revenge porn laws, and Kardashian could face jail time. But if this situation pans out like other celebrity domestic/assault cases, he may walk as a free man.
Why are celebrities who abuse their partners still famous? Why are their violent acts simply overlooked? Why is there cold-hard evidence supporting the attacks, and no one seems to care? These rhetorical questions are one’s I dread to ask, and should not have to ask.
