OK! Magazine has a new very brief interview with sexy 90210 actress AnnaLynne McCord, 24. It seems like we only report on AnnaLynne when she’s half-dressed or dating a much older guy. She also had an on-off relationship with Kellan Lutz, but eventually quit getting back with him in favor of Dominic Purcell. Anyway, AnnaLynne told OK! that she was an abuse victim. This was at a event for a charity raising awareness of human trafficking and sexual slavery. She didn’t get into details though, and just seemed to be explaining why the charity was meaningful to her. What little she did say was moving to me.
AnnaLynne McCord is so passionate in her support of the Somaly Mam Foundation, which fights human trafficking and sexual slavery around the world. “I’m a victim of abuse,” AnnaLynne, 24, told OK! exclusively, without going into further detail, at a foundation fund-raiser on Oct. 20. “We have a connection to these girls. The innocence of my mind was stolen as a child. I’m not sorry, because I wouldn’t speak with the fervor that I speak with about these girls had I not known what it feels like.”
[From OK! Magazine, print edition, November 7, 2011]
It’s her story to tell, and if she wants to simply say that something happened to her as a child and not get into the details, that’s definitely her prerogative. It’s a powerful way to say it too, that “the innocence of her mind was stolen.” Somehow just thinking about that makes me angry and upset at the same time. I’m a mom and when I think about a kid being hurt at all my emotions are right at the surface. Good for AnnaLynne for helping out and for speaking out.
The Somaly Mam foundation was founded by sexual slavery survivor Somaly Mam. She’s shown in the pink dress next to Susan Sarandon in these photos. You can learn more about their work by visiting their website.
Photo credit: WENN.com
I find the sexy ‘blowing a kiss’ pose discordant with the quote she gave, and cause she is promoting. I feel for her.. but wrong pose for the moment, IMHO.
That is a beautiful dress – but girl, buy a hairbrush and use it. Also cut and style that mess.
Sad to think another girl was abused.
Love her.
Hate Susan Sarandon’s dress!
Something about her rubs me wrong, but good for her for finding a cause she has a real connection with. Through good works we can be healed.
Yes, a powerful way of describing lost innocence; the awaking to the knowledge of good and evil.
Let’s not be too snarky the next time a young actress appears vapid, naive, or ill-informed. It might just be the remnants of her innocence or a lack of the full knowledge of good and evil.
May God save a little innocence for us all but give us an awareness of the wolves amoung us.
susan s-
i love you, woman. you are fabulous squared.
but we need to talk about the bra strap and shoes, youre better than this.
xo
She’s gorgeous! Love the dress. Did Susan Sarandon have a facelift?
WTF WITH SUSAN’S DRESS???? A BRA STRAP SHOWING LIKE THAT??? I am at a loss for words over that uber busted look…As for Russell – grow the f up & wear clothes like a real man for god’s sake!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with ‘Ice Bunny’.
This is a very sensitive issue and, precisely for that, I find the fact that she was posing suggestively and blowing kisses around, to be extremely distasteful… Especially if it’s true that she was an abuse victim, and thus knows what it means to have your integrity compromised at such an extreme level.
It’s an event to raise funds to help the victims of sexual slavery, not a Playboy photoshoot.
Maybe I am too much of a bitch but, darling, learn how to behave appropriately!
@kate- he looks like a ventriloquist doll.
Pedophilia/sex slavery is all over Hollywood, politics…everywhere.
More people should speak out against human traffiking and sex slaves. It’s disgusting and it’s a lot more rampant than you think.
Icebunny and Pont Neuf you are so right!!! And what is with the backside pose? Ostensibly it may be to show the cut of the dress but it is such a cheap and cheesy pose to begin with. Here, it is just so wrong.
Firstly, many abuse victims can grow up hypersexualised.
Secondly, I do not necessarily believe her. I wouldn’t go so far as to say she’s lying but I’m not jumping on the believing her bandwagon just yet either.
I give her credit for being able to deal with what happened and focus on a positive outlet in her life.
Love her dress, Susan’s is terrible.
Well, she may be posing in an inappropriate way, but what I find more interesting than the context is the reason why. Maybe she still has a long way to go before fully understanding the difference between “good and bad” sexual imagery. Been there.
Also, @Incredulous, I’ve said it in another post today: not all women who suffered from sexual abuse as girls grow up to be permanently hyper-sexual. It may be a phase, they may be rejected by other adults they propose themselves to and realize it’s wrong to have an over-sexual behavior, they may regress to reject their sexuality completely, many things can happen.
Anyways, whoever does even little work to raise knowledge about abuse is on my “good person” list.
Yeah, I don’t know about this. Child abuse or any abuse is horrific no matter the type or scale, but I am picturing her parents yelling at her a lot, or drinking and being neglectful…I don’t know, I’m just speculating. Hope her childhood wasn’t terrible and glad that she is supporting and creating awareness.
Rita I agree wholeheartedly with what you say. There is such a balance in knowing we (as post abuse sufferers) can choose to reclaim part of our innocence as it is another facet of who we are. But not to in turn re-blind ourselves to the wolves. Which sadly there are sooo many
I’m sure it’s true what she says but publicity is publicity so girlfriend is treating this just as any publicized event: red carpet style. She’s looking good and saying smart, deep things while using her exposure to up her profile. Work is work.
Well good for her for standing up for her cause. But like Anne said, there are a lot of underground aspects of Hollywood and the upper class that is kept highly under wraps. More needs to be done to expose these things.
Uncle Ben and Pee Wee Herman are Russell Simmons’ spirit animals.
Susan Sarandon did have a facelift, a couple years ago.
My Dad calls her The Squeezed Frog.
How horrible.
I’m not really sure what to think of this. A lot of us have “the innocence of our mind stolen” albeit in different ways.
Find out dad is cheating on mom? Innocence stolen. Find out cheating dad gave mom an STD? Innocence stolen.
Sexually molested/abused? Innocence stolen.
In an abusive relationship/sexually abused as an adult or teen? Innocence stolen. And battered.
It all depends on your perspective, I guess.
Why would the girl lie about being abused? You lie about your boobs and your money etc but abuse? I don’t think so, people who think that are suspicious because they are probably liars themselves.
I just wonder how young was she when she says child. It could be at 15 or 16 which I could see happening especially if she was trying to get into Hollywood. Anything younger and I really doubt she would share such an intimate secret in such a public way.
Now I am actually surprise that Susan Sarandon actually wore a bra, that is a positive for her. She normally doesn’t bother.
Isn’t that is the same dress that Kate Winslet wore that everyone hated. (During the Mildred Pierce promotion.)
I actually like what Russell Simmons is wearing. A nice blue suit that fits with a starched shirt and a tie. It is appropriate for the occasion. And he tends to wears brand new sneakers daily.
AnnaLynn – she’s clueless, isn’t she? She should have prepared a simple statement like, “Children have the right to grow up safe, secure and protected. Government need to make kid’s wellbeings a priority. I’m here to support that idea”. And she shoulda left it at that. She sounds vapid. PS underwear, a more conservative outfit and a less flirtatious demonstration would have been good ideas, too. What a dum dum.
Abuse is never an easy thing to live with or speak about! Kudos to her for being brave and standing up for what she believes in.
@Pylon Bellaluna lol
Nice post. Wonderful perspective of the “mind’s innocence”.
@the original Bella, I’m right there with you on two of the three.
@CooCooCatchoo, ITA. BTW, long time no see 🙂
Not a single one of us NEEDS to know the ifs, ands, or buts about her abuse. If she’s there helping out a cause to help with child abuse, then kudos to her. Otherwise, find another can of worms to stick your nose inside.
On a completely unrelated note…I love her dress. Susan Sarandon on the other hand…should not wear a bra if you’re planning on wearing a dress with a sheer shoulder.
Kissy face is totally inappropriate, but whatever.
I actually appreciate the fact that she didn’t go into details. When celebrities get into all the details of their personal lives, it only makes me think that they’re vying for media attention.
Thanks for posting this and for your take on it! I really liked what she said and that she is doing this work. (Whattup w/ sarandon’s showing bra strap, btw?)
Great post.
#31 Willow and #33 Self Help:
I agree that we don’t need to know the details. I respect her more for not giving the details.
I don’t think she is very famous. I don’t know of her anyway. I believe I have seen her covered on E doing charity work before…with children, I believe. Most people are not all things. So she could be vapid, inarticulate and a terrible actress for all I know but that doesn’t mean that she isn’t sincerely trying to make a positive difference in this world. Kudos to her for that, I say.
There are several scenarios that could apply (as others have mentioned) as ‘abuse as a child’. I do think the red carpet ‘flirty’ poses were inappropriate, given the subject matter of the event. But it’s true that many who suffer abuse can act inappropriately sexual/flirtatious if they’ve experienced abuse growing up.
This makes me think of Courtney Stodden, & the pitiful disturbing (embarrassingly bad) hyper-sexuality she displays all the time. She’s been doing this since she was 11, trying to be a model (with her mother as her manager… WO much?) I’d consider even pushing a young girl into an innately sexual adult career to be an ‘innocence-stealing’ abuse.
I won’t judge as to whether Annalynne’s claim of abuse is true, but it would be arrogant to make assumptions. She’s contributing to an important cause, which is the most important thing, as far as I’m concerned.
Dadblammit; that’s what’s wrong with all my pics; my rear view isn’t visible. thanks annalynne! lol
Who is innocent nowadays anyway? If she says she was abused then maybe she was. Why is there even a question?
@RocketMary: Well said.
Yes, the sexy, flirty poses are inappropriate for this particular event. But it’s also inappropriate to attack her and question her assertion that she’s an abuse victim. WHY would she say she was if she wasn’t? What does she have to gain? Or prove, for that matter? It seems that people are questioning her assertion simply because she’s posing in a sexual way, which is outragous. This isn’t the 1950’s–are we going to revert to blaming a rape victim for how they were dressed or how many sexual partners they’ve had next?
And while we don’t know the nature or details of her abuse, the overtly sexual behavior falls in line with being a sexual abuse victim. She’s also very young (24) and in a relationship with a much older person (41), which is another hallmark. It’s absolutely true that often (not always) young sexual abuse victims become hyper-sexualized. If the abuse took place at a crucial formative age, many victims grow up believing that attracting sexual attention is the only way to be loved. (Courtney Stodden, anyone??) In my experience–and I have plenty as a sexual abuse survivor–it either swings that way or the complete opposite, where the victim becomes almost asexual. It takes a lot of hard work and therapy to be self-aware enough to shed those skins.
I just don’t get why people are questioning her instead of applauding her for her charitable work and speaking up about her connection to it. I think she’s brave.