This article mentions abuse and sexual harassment.
The actor recently shared an essay on Tumblr that she said she felt “compelled” to write “[i]n light of recent events regarding the attempt to destroy the career and livelihood of a fellow actress and woman.”
“I have unfortunately been subject to the same toxic masculinity throughout my life,” she wrote. “In my recent career, I’ve brought forward concerns about a male colleague and was deemed ‘hysterical.’ I was told my fears were figments of my imagination. Now, as I’m seeing this pattern pop up more, I realize this is the norm.”
For context: You may recall that Abigail had a lawsuit filed against her last year by producers of the film Classified, which was released straight-to-digital earlier this year. In the suit, producers alleged that Abigail accused Aaron of “aggressive, demeaning and unprofessional” behavior that “placed her at various times in peril.” The producers’ suit also referred to those accusations as “hysterical” and “imaginary.”
In her essay, Abigail claims that the lawsuit was eventually withdrawn. “After making a confidential complaint against a coworker for unprofessional behavior, I had the silly and naive impression they would believe me,” she stated about the aftermath of her initial allegations.
“Instead of being believed and protected, a suit was filed against me for having the audacity to speak up. I was publicly shamed and defamed in the process. A reputation I had cultivated for over 2 decades had now been tainted as I became the crazy, paranoid and to quote directly, ‘hysterical and wild’ woman, who apparently just had it in for men.”
Abigail also claimed that her previous public disclosures about being in an abusive relationship were “also brought up as ‘unfounded claims’, and I was made to seem like someone who just goes after men, rather than being seen as someone who has been dealing as a professional in this world, since I was a child, standing up for herself. This was after I had taken all of the recommended, reasonable and appropriate measures of reporting confidentially to my union.”
“To the public…I often wonder why are we always so excited to see the takedown of a woman? Why are we always so quick to defend a man after he is accused of bad behavior, but if a woman speaks out… she’s clearly a liar? I’d like to think it’s because we are supremely afraid to believe the truth that these things actually happen. I’d like to believe it’s some form of indoctrinated denial.”
“However, time and time again, I find most people believe the approval of a man is far more significant than the burden of supporting a woman. For men, it is always innocent until proven guilty. For women it is the opposite.”
You can read Abigail’s entire essay here.
