Sexual violence and rape culture has been around for centuries but is still overlooked and talked

about casually. Instead of addressing sexual violence and rape culture in a serious matter

concerning the victim, media and news outlets often discuss the abusers’ story and what happens

to their life. In reality, the abuser does not have to live a life filled with trauma and reminders of

someone else’s actions that will forever haunt their life. A single decision can dramatically affect

not one life but two lives, and by taking somebody’s body from them you would think it would

be a harsher crime with longer penalties. Having to live with destructive thoughts that are

uncontrollable like “decid(ing), I don’t want my body anymore,” (Miller, pp.1) because of

somebody else’s decision would be detrimental to one’s self-respect, self-esteem, self-moral, and

so much more. Not only is rape invasive but the process after getting raped is quite invasive as

well. Chanel Miller describes her experience first-hand with having to go through her process

with being raped. “I had multiple swabs inserted into my vagina and anus, needles for shots,

pills, had a Nikon pointed right into my spread legs,” (Miller, pp.1). By this point you think it

would be done but “I had long, pointed beaks inside me and had my vagina smeared with cold,

blue paint to check for abrasions,” (Miller, pp.1). The process after being raped is almost as bad

as the moment the abuser decided to choose its victim and begin the torture. Yet the abuser only

got six months in a county jail, practically a slap on the wrist, and she, the victim, will spend the

rest of her life living through this torture. If you think this is bad, try being an eleven-year-old

girl from Texas who got raped by eighteen men. Is that even possible? Yes, “the levels of horror

to this story are many, from the victims age, to what is known about what happened to her, to the

number of attackers, to the public response in that town, to how the story was reported,” (Gay,

pp. 128). She was a child who got stripped from childhood and the only thing the public could

ask was where her mom was and why she was dressed the way she was. An article was published
shortly after this act of sexual assault was committed by the New York Times, “Vicious Assault

Shakes Texas Town” but the article did not focus on the victim, “an eleven-year-old girl whose

body was ripped apart, not a town” (Gay, pp. 129), rather it focused on the boys who committed

this crime and how their lives would be changed forever by having to register as a sex offender

and by not being allowed in school. Media and news outlets share the wrong side of the story,

and yet again, the victim goes unnoticed, and the poor abusers get the sympathy. But it is not

completely the media and news outlet’s fault for reporting on the eighteen men whose lives

would be changed forever because we are taught that “the casual way in which we deal with rape

may begin with television and movies where we are inundated with images of sexual and

domestic violence,” (Gay, pp. 130). Society has been taught that rape and domestic violence is a

casual occurrence rather than a detrimental life altering occurrence. No wonder why we are still

trying to bring light to the victim’s side of an abuser’s story.

Today I have brought on a special guest whose story sheds light onto the victims, who is a

powerhouse not only when it comes to her voice but also when it comes to advocating for

women in the world who have gone through what she has. A woman born and raised in New

York City who later became a singer, a songwriter, an actress, and a women’s advocate. Today,

she will be opening up about a day that haunted her for a very long time. It is my pleasure to

introduce you to Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, also known as Lady Gaga.

Stefani: Hello and thank you, Aspen, for having me on your podcast this afternoon. I am so

honored to be able to share my story pertaining to sexual assault with all of you, as this moment

in my life was hard to process and talk about for many years, but here we are. I am happy that I
can be a voice for people who have become victims of sexual assault because you are not alone,

even if you may think you are.

Aspen: Thank you for being here with us. I am excited to jump into this podcast with you, I

know that this topic can be sensitive and hard for people to listen to and to share, so thank you

for sharing your story with all of us.

Aspen Question One: How has sexual assault changed your life?

Stefani: After I was assaulted when I was 19, I changed forever. Part of me shut down for many

years. I didn’t tell anyone. I avoided it myself. And felt shame even still today standing in front

of you. I feel shame for what happened to me. I still have days where I feel like it was my fault.

After I shared what happened to me with very powerful men in this industry, nobody helped me.

No one offered my guidance or a helping hand to lead me to a place where I felt justice, they

didn’t even point me in the direction of the mental health assistance I was in dire need of. Those

men hid because they were afraid of losing their power. And because they hid, I began to hide. I

hid for a long time until I started to feel physical pain. Then I had to go to the doctor because I

didn’t know what was wrong with me. And then I was diagnosed with PTSD and Fibromyalgia,

which many people don't think is real, and I don't even know what the fuck to say about that. But

I’ll tell you what it is. It’s a syndrome that is essentially a cyclone of stress induced pain.

Aspen Justification: I asked you this question today to further understand the pain and trauma

that lasts after a sexual assault. Many people believe it just goes away and you just move on, but

that is in fact just not true. The effects of rape are long lasting and are quite detrimental to one’s

health. It changes your life both mentally and physically and not just for a short time, but forever.
Aspen Question Two: What pushed you to find your voice when advocating for women who

have also been sexually assaulted?

Stefani: As a sexual assault survivor by someone in the entertainment industry, as a woman who

is still not brave enough to say his name, as a woman who lives with chronic pain, as a woman

who was conditioned at a very young age to listen to what men told me to do, I decided today I

wanted to take the power back. To use what really matters: my voice.

Aspen Justification: I asked you this question because finding your voice no matter where or

what you are discussing can be hard at times. Not knowing the reactions, you are going to get,

the pressure from the outside world, the pressure from yourself, it can all be a bit overwhelming

and scary. Finding your voice in an industry that overlooks sexual assault due to fame, must have

been a brutal process.

Aspen Question Three: What helped your mental health during the process of trying to

understand and deal with your trauma and what would you want others to know?

Stefani: I’m fortunate enough now to have the resources to help me. But for many, the resources

either don't exist or people don't have the ability to pay for or access them. I want to see mental

health become a global priority. We’re not able to control all of the challenges and tragedies that

life throws our way. But we can work together. Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma—

these are just a few examples of the forces that can lead to this tornado of pain. 300 million
people suffer from depression, 60 million people live with bipolar affective disorder, 23 million

people are stricken with schizophrenia, and 800,000 people die every year from suicide.

Aspen Justification: I asked you this question so that people are aware of the mental tole that

sexual violence can have on a person and the effects that can stir up from a trauma of this kind. I

also wanted to ask this question because I wanted to get your opinion on what you want to see

happen in this world for other people who are struggling. Mental health is very important and

often overlooked in such a fast-paced world. Mental health is not what defines us but is what

makes us human.

Aspen Question Four: What does it mean to be a woman in Hollywood?

Stefani: For me, this is what it means to be a woman in Hollywood.

It means I have a platform. I have a chance to make a change. I pray we listen and believe and

pay closer attention to those around us, to those in need. Be a helping hand. Be a force for

change.

Aspen Justification: I asked you this question because being a woman is one thing but being a

woman with so many eyes on you would a crazy feeling. I bit surreal at times; I am sure. Being a

woman is hard enough, we struggle with our own insecurities that the world put ideal standards

on, and we have been taught to listen to men who were for e very long time the ones with power.

Today, being a woman in Hollywood is not being silent or listening to men because women have

power and have the voices that have for so long been silenced.
Aspen Question Four: What would you like to leave the audience with?

Stefani: It is my personal dream that there would be a mental health expert teacher or therapist in

every school in this nation and hopefully one day around the world. Let’s lift our voices. I know

we are, but let’s get louder. And not just as women. But as humans. And see that there are great

men in the world. And ask them to hold our hands. For justice. That our voices be heard.

Whatever our story may be. For an equal standing. We will fight for justice for women and men

and those with other sexual identities.

Aspen Justification: I asked you this question today because I wanted you to be able to share

your advice with the world. To let people hear your voice and to inspire other to be the change

and the light in a world filled with darkness. I believe that sexual violence has changed your life

dramatically as well as many others in this world and by letting people hear your story and what

you aspire our world to be like, it will solidify not just a soldier but an army to be the driving

force behind mental health and sexual violence advocacy.

Sexual violence and rape culture need to be talked about. People need to know that they are not

alone when fighting these battles. By standing together we are a powerful force. Educating

ourselves about sexual violence and rape culture brings awareness to things that are overlooked

and to people who are overlooked. To advocate for the victims of these horrific crimes instead of

consoling the abuser for making a bad decision. Writing an article on how to victims’ life will be

changed forever instead of the abuser’s life. Victims are silenced too often and forgotten about,
not written about, and are ultimately overlooked. Rape and sexual violence is not something to

take lightly, the effects of these events last forever. The trauma does not go away in the blink of

an eye. Knowing you have people on your side if you too fall victim to an abuser can save you

from living a life full of pain, guilt, and misery. Reach out and let your voice be heard. You are

not alone and although we may become a victim, we are ultimately a force against abusers. We

fight for longer penalties, not just a slap on the wrist. We are the voices of the silenced and

overlooked, but we will no longer be silenced and overlook. Can you see us? Can you hear us?
 Works Cited

“Lady Gaga.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Nov. 2023,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Gaga.

“Lady Gaga Opens up about Sexual Assault and Mental Health in ... - Elle.” Elle,

www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a23813974/lady-gaga-opens-up-about-sexual-assault-

and-mental-health-elle-women-in-hollywood-acceptance-speech/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.

Gay, Roxane. Bad Feminist. Éditions Points, 2019.

Miller, Chanel. You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me.

All responses from Stefani were taken from her Speech at Elle.