VOGUE —> AURORA PIPER, "I WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED."
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This is Aurora Piper, one of Hollywood's favorite actresses. This sweetheart with a beautiful smile is best known for her role as Theodora Allard in The Vampire Diaires. She has also been in Teen Wolf, won multiple Teen Choice and People's Choice Awards for her performances in TVD, models, and is currently dating TW costar, Daniel Sharman.
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Piper today to catch up. She also told us about an incident that took place a couple months ago.
V: So, Aurora, you didn't just come in here to catch up?
A: Yeah, I came to talk about an incident that happened a couple months ago. In May, I was at a club in Los Angeles with a couple of friends and I was...I was sexually assaulted.
V: I'm so, so sorry. How did such a thing happen?
A: I was just dancing, I had just gotten off the phone with Daniel. So, I was dancing, and then this man came up to me. He started getting closer to me, he tried to touch my butt. I pushed him away immediately, and tried to walk away but he wouldn't let me. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him. He dragged me into a storage closet and then he- *Sniffs with tears*
V: I understand, Aurora.
A: After he did it, he just dragged me into the men's bathroom and just left me in a stall.
V: What happened after that?
A: I was left in the bathroom stall until someone named Oliver found me. We became friends and he took me back to his apartment and patched me up.
V: Were you hurt beyond just the incident?
A: When he was dragging me into the bathroom, I hit my head in the edge of the sink. I cut my head so I was bleeding, and Oliver helped me with that. For the next two weeks after the assault, I had bruises all over my body. Hand prints on my wrists and arms and purple and green marks on stomach and my chest. All these things that just reminded me of him and the attack. These reminders that made me want to break down and cry every time I looked at them.
V: That's terrible, I'm sorry you went through such a traumatizing event.
A: Thank you, but I have friends and family to help me get through it.
V: That's great, you're very lucky.
A: I know. *smiles slightly* I have two amazing bestfriends, Laura and Camila. My onscreen brothers, Colton and Todd, who are basically my brothers in real life as well. My two families, the cast of TVD and Teen Wolf. And finally, my incredible boyfriend, Daniel.
V: I'm guessing he's helped you so much during this difficult time.
A: Definitely. He was the first one that found out, and since then he's been there for me, and I love him for that.
V: How did tell someone about such a traumatizing event?
A: I tried to hide for a week, tried to act normal, like nothing ever happened, but I couldn't. That type of incident, it changes you, and all of my friends could tell something was wrong. I didn't leave my house because it was the only place where I felt semi-safe. I was just distance in general, not talking to anyone that much. I finally told Daniel when he found me on the couch asleep with bruises all over me.
V: Why did you hold off on telling someone?
A: It was just hard to talk about. I wasn't sure if anyone would believe and I didn't want people to change the way they saw me. I didn't want to be seen as weak.
V: I definitely don't see you as weak.
A: Thank you. *smiles*
V: Obviously this has been a very hard time for you, but how were you able to find comfort during this experience? What was something that was able to make you smile during all of this?
A: Like I said before, Daniel has been so, so incredible in all of this, so I think it would have to be him. When I told him, he took me in his arms and for the first time since the attack, I felt safe. Since then he's done whatever he can to make me continue to feel safe and get me to smile and I'm so grateful for him.
V: Final question, what advice do you have to victims of sexual harassment like yourself?
A: Don't hold off telling anyone, don't think that you are alone, because you're not. Tell someone, a friend, significant other, parent, guardian, just tell someone and let them be there to help you. You're not alone and you're going to get through this, because you are strong.
V: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us, Aurora.
A: Well, thank you for having me.
If you're a victim of sexual abuse, please visit the links below or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline @ 1-800-656-4673
