Breslin said she wanted to share her story with October being Domestic Violence Awareness month.
Abigail Breslin opened up in harrowing detail about a past relationship in which she said she was the victim of physical, mental and verbal abuse.
The Little Miss Sunshine star took to Instagram on Friday and said she wanted to share her story with October being Domestic Violence Awareness month. The 26-year-old actress posted a series of screen shots in which she said she was in "a very abusive relationship" that lasted close to two years.
But, before posting her personal story, she warned fans with a "massive TRIGGER WARNING." She then went on to say that the relationship started out "perfectly" and that she was "so in love." But, unfortunately, Breslin said her abuser "took advantage of my innocence and naïveté and the relationship subsequently became violent."
The actress said she was "beaten on a regular basis, locked into rooms and forced to pretend everything was ok and normal while dealing with intense injuries... injuries most people didn't even see."
Breslin said she hid the injuries with concealer and "caked on foundation to hide any and all bruises, because in some way, I still cared for this person."
The abusive relationship, Breslin said, also turned mentally abusive. Breslin added that the "physical injuries were also accompanied by a plethora of put downs, shaming and harsh verbal abuse."
Breslin, who is now happily engaged to Ira Kunyansky, said the entire experience made her "feel like I deserved less than dirt." She added that those two years "were the loneliest I have ever felt."
She thanked her strong support group of family and friends who helped her leave this "horrible situation." Breslin said she's "still healing" and that her C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) is "much better than it was in the first 2-3 years after my abusive relationship."
The actress said she hopes that by "sharing a bit more about my story" that it "at least helps some people feel a little bit less lonely."
It's not the first time Breslin has been vulnerable about her past. Back in 2017, the actress took to social media to "break the silence" about her own sexual assault during Sexual Assault Awareness month.
"I knew my assailant," she wrote on Instagram, along with a black-and-white photo that read, "You are not obligated to have sex with someone that you're in a relationship with. Dating is not consent. Marriage is not consent."
Days after that revelation, Breslin spoke out about why she didn't report her rape.
“First off, I was in complete shock and total denial,” she shared on Instagram. “I didn’t want to view myself as a ‘victim’ so I suppressed it and pretended it never happened.”
“Second of all, I was in a relationship with my rapist and feared not being believed,” Breslin continued. “I also feared that if my case didn’t lead anywhere, he would still find out and hurt me even more. Thirdly, I knew how hurt my friends and family would be after finding out and I didn’t want to put them through that.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential.
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