Dear Gabrielle Union,

When I was a teenager, you starred in the most popular movies of my generation, such as She’s All That and Bring It On. Your career has stood the test of time, but for me (and the world), your relevance extends well beyond your movie credits.

At a young age, you helped lay the foundation for a life I didn’t even yet know I was building.

When I was 16 years old, I was drugged and sexually assaulted by two strangers. In the years following my assault, I didn’t want to tell anyone.

I was embarrassed.

I didn’t want to be viewed as a victim.

I thought the way these boys treated me was a reflection of my weakness.

So, for nine years, my assault was my secret.

However, I remember watching an interview where you talked about your rape. I don’t know where the interview aired. I don’t remember who interviewed you or how old I was when I saw it. And the only comment I recall was about how race plays a role in how our society responds to rape. Even so, that interview changed the way I began to think about myself and my own story.

What stuck with me most is not necessarily what you said but how you spoke.

You weren’t weak. You did not sound like my vision of a “victim.”

Instead, you made me feel as though I shouldn’t be embarrassed.

It was you who made me realize that speaking up IS fighting back.

Nine years after my assault, I finally told my mom what had happened to me. And 15 years after that horrible night, I published an open letter to sexual assault survivors telling them what hurt me didn’t hold me back.

Two years after sharing my story publicly, I started a company called The Unsealed. It is a safe space for people to share their stories in the form of open letters – to use their past to empower themselves and give hope, inspiration, and knowledge to others.

Through the years, I have continued to watch the way you move through the world:

– Following you on social media.
– Watching the roles you play in movies and TV.
– Listening to your interviews whenever I come across them.

Your fearlessness to advocate for what you believe is right while unapologetically being yourself has continued to serve as an example of the type of person I want to be in this world.

Gabrielle, you set the foundation for my future because you were the first woman I heard speak of their assault from a place of confidence, and fierceness. You were the first person I vividly remember turning their truth into power.

And because of you, I was able to transform my secret into what I now call my superpower and then create a safe space for so many others to do the same.

Thank you for your courage. Your voice led me to discover my strength.