Thursday, March 28, 2024

Sheryl Underwood on Her Molestation, Weighs in on Duggar Interview

sheryl underwood - on being molested

*Although many have voiced their opinion regarding news of “19 Kids and Counting,” star Josh Duggar molesting five young girls, including four of his sisters when he was 14-years-old, the situation hits home especially hard for Sheryl Underwood.

On Thursday (June 4), the comedienne weighed in on the interview the Duggar family gave to Fox News’ Megyn Kelly while admitting that she was molested as a child.

The following is Underwood’s confession on “The Talk”:

Let me just say this. I’m probably the only person at this table that went through that. And I went through that, 3,4,5 years old. You know something is wrong. And if nobody listens to you, and nobody is going to stop it, whether I’m sleep or not–I learned how to stay up as long as I could. I may sleep at school because nobody’s going to protect me.

Aisha you said that it didn’t help them to do this interview. What it really did was it helped us, the world to see what happens to people when they’re in some type of family structure, when the people you’re supposed to trust to protect you seem to be the coconspirators in your violation. Seem to rationalize sexual assault and molestation.

And the thing about this that hurts so much is you feel that you have no help. You feel that nobody is listening or you’re being blamed or this is something that kids do. And I thank God for my older brothers who took an action on my behalf, let me just say that.

“It took me years to have to learn to love myself because I felt that I was worthless. I felt that I was less than. I felt that I deserved this or brought it on myself because of what was coming toward me from my parents. These parents are wrong.

And for the years that I couldn’t accept love and I couldn’t accept what I was made to have: the beauty of a great relationship with someone who loved me back because I didn’t love myself. Families gotta protect families and don’t rationalize violation.”

According to Underwood, Duggar’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, had made excuses for Josh and his behavior, 12 years ago. As a result, she feels the parents actually re-victimized their children by not doing enough to protect their daughters from their son.

Underwood’s response comes days after the Duggar family spoke to Megyn Kelly about Josh’s molestation against their daughters. During the 30-minute interview, Jim Bob and Michelle revealed that Josh initially touched his sisters over their clothes while they were asleep. Ultimately, Josh was the one who told his parents what he did the first time.

Despite the admission, MadameNoire.com noted that the parents said they didn’t take action until the third time Josh molested the young girls. At the time, Josh admitted to touching one of the couple’s younger daughters, while she was awake. From there Jim Bob and Michelle sent Josh to an unlicensed, Christian training center after speaking with friends.

When Kelly asked why they didn’t seek treatment for Josh after the first incident, the couple said that “as parents you’re not mandatory reporters.” Jim Bob and Michelle go on to say that initially they thought that most of this was about a young man’s curiosity.

Underwood followed her admission on “The Talk” with comments regarding sisters Jill and Jessa Duggar, who told Kelly that they didn’t remember being molested by Josh because they were both asleep. The sisters mentioned that they had forgiven their brother and felt violated with the media shining a light on their childhood molestation into the forefront.

In an interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” Underwood stated that perhaps the Duggar sisters really do remember more than they’ve told their parents because she still struggles with it today as an adult.

“First, I was kind of mad at myself because I couldn’t control it. But then I was like ‘Maybe it’s not for you to control. Maybe this family, maybe they need to see what this is still doing to me. So you think your children don’t know and you think your children don’t remember but maybe they haven’t. Because I can’t control it when it’s not even about me,” she told ET.

“Something was screaming in me, Help somebody else. Don’t let somebody else go through what you went through alone.

I think [them defending their brother] is a defense mechanism. You need to put it square where it was. Your brother did something wrong, to you. And, the way I’m looking at this, your family, let you down.”

To see Underwood address her past sexual abuse, check out the video below:

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