As the Chinese entertainment industry is plagued with allegations of sexual harassment and assault, mainland actress Xin Zhilei revealed that she was once a victim of such horror.
On 29 June, the actress reflected on her own experience as she begins her stage show, “Prima Facie”, saying that she encountered what she deemed a minor indecent assault when she was a child, adding that she used the word “minor” as she was unsure of how to define the degree of the said crime.
“My brain would actively delete that part of the terrible memory, until “Prima Facie” reminded me of myself, and I saw the me that was unwilling to face it because of fear and self-blame. When I saw the tearful eyes of many girls, and the hesitation to speak, I know what’s behind it,” she said.
“Is being sexually assaulted a simple thing?” Xin Zhilei asked helplessly. “Someone always tells the victim that it’s not a big deal, and it’s not that serious. In turn, she blames herself for not paying attention. But I know it’s not that simple, only girls know it’s not that simple, it will make you suffer, make you blame yourself, make you doubt yourself, and make you no longer believe in the relationship between people… Is it simple!?”
Finally, Xin stated that she hopes that through this role, people will think about the issue and protect other girls from being hurt, adding, “We need to be seen! We need to be heard!”
In the stage play, Xin plays a female lawyer who becomes a victim of sexual assault herself after years of defending sexual assault suspects.
(Photo Source: Xin Zhilei Weibo)