Teri Hatcher Talks about her Childhood Sexual Abuse: ‘I Blamed Myself’

Teri Hatcher broke down in tears while speaking about her past childhood sexual abuse during a United Nations event. The actress revealed in 2006 that she was molested at the age of seven by her uncle. At the event, which commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25, Hatcher shared her story.

"I was convinced it was my fault and I blamed myself for what had happened, so I didn't tell anyone and I was silent," Hatcher, 49, said according to Yahoo!. "I did, however, unsurprisingly, start to act out and my mother decided to keep me away from my uncle. I didn't see him anymore, but no one in my family ever asked exactly what happened. We remained silent."

In 2002, Hatcher had reached out to the district attorney (DA) when she heard about a girl who committed suicide years after being molested by Hatcher's uncle, Richard Hayes Stone. Stone, who had married into Hatcher's family, had continued to molest several young girls after Hatcher.

Hatcher recalled, "I was helping my parents pack up my childhood home and I came across a current newspaper article about a beautiful 11-year-old girl named Sarah from my hometown. The story recounted how she had wrapped her head in a towel in order to avoid making a mess and shot herself in the head. Her reason? In a suicide note, she implicated my uncle, who had been sexually abusing her for years."

After Hatcher came forward, Stone, who was 64 at the time, pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation. He was sentenced to prison for 14 years. According to the Santa Clara County deputy DA in California, Chuck Gillingham, without the actress's help, the case could have been easily dismissed.

In 2006, Hatcher, known for her role as Susan Mayer/Delfino on Desperate Housewives, revealed her past childhood sexual abuse in an interview with Vanity Fair.

At the end of Hatcher's speech, she talked about how many victims, like herself, can feel guilty for what happened even though none of it was their fault. She added that sexual abuse could take away the victim's self-esteem, self-worth and happiness. Upon finishing her speech, Hatcher received a standing ovation.

On top of giving a speech about sexual abuse, Hatcher helped light up the Empire State Building in honor of the event.