LOS ANGELES _ As stories of sexual abuse and harassment ramped up online, prompted by Alyssa Milano's #MeToo campaign, actress America Ferrera's revelation was particularly heartbreaking.
The first time a man sexually assaulted her, she alleges, she was only 9 years old.
The Emmy-winning "Ugly Betty" alum, 33, shared her story on social media Monday, just as several high-profile stars including Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lawrence and singer Bjork publicly recounted their own in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
Ferrera did not elaborate on what her alleged abuser did, nor who he was, instead focusing on how he made her feel.
"I told no one and lived with the shame and guilt thinking all along that I, a 9-year-old child, was somehow responsible for the actions of a grown man," Ferrera wrote.
The "Superstore" actress said she had to see the man on a daily basis for years to come.
"He would smile at me and wave, and I would hurry past him, my blood running cold, my guts carrying the burden of what only he & I knew," she wrote, "that he expected me to shut my mouth and smile back."
Ferrera called on her thousands of followers across Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to "break the silence" so that the next generation of girls won't have to experience similar ordeals.
