Chelsea Handler has apologized to Juanita Broaddrick, the woman who says Bill Clinton raped her in a hotel room in 1978. Over the weekend, Handler tweeted that electing Roy Moore to the Senate would send a bad message to survivors of sexual abuse, and asked people to imagine how horrible they must feel.
Imagine being molested by an older man. Then that man denies ever doing it and then goes on and gets elected to United States senate. What kind of message does that send to young girls everywhere? And men to all the men who abuse women?
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) November 12, 2017
Broaddrick said that she didn't have to imagine, as she actually lived through the man she said attacked her being elected president.
Yeah, @chelseahandler I can imagine. I was raped by the Arkansas AG who then becomes Governor & President and NBC held my interview explaining the rape until after his impeachment hearing. But I'm sure you don't want to go there. https://t.co/s9W8NZsaZ3
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) November 13, 2017
In my earlier post, I said Handler probably wouldn't respond to Broaddrick's tweet. I'm happy to report that I was wrong, and it turns out Handler believes her story. Handler said that she apologized for not fully knowing her story, and called on all political parties to "do better" and to "respect the firsthand accounts of victims."
I’m sorry I’m just seeing this, @atensnut. You are right and I apologize to you for not knowing your story. Democrats along with Republicans and the rest of the worlds’s political parties all need to do better and respect the firsthand accounts of victims. I believe you. https://t.co/VDIFmCvg7g
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) November 16, 2017
Color me shocked. And she's right--people do need to do better and to respect people who say they were victims of assault.