Are any of them Christine Blasey Ford, who you attacked and diminished in public because you wanted a to appoint an anti-abortion far right judge to the highest court?
This week I've heard from dozens of women who have been victims of domestic violence.
Many have remarked not just how much they relate to my story overall but how they, too, once qualified their abuse in the same way I did in my interview with the Times: Clarifying that Graham didn't break my arm, didn't ever punch or slap me.
I didn't realize that was what I was doing—I just didn't want to exaggerate. If anything I wanted to downplay his violence and the deep, lasting impact it has had on my life.
I also have felt I need to be clear that I was never, ever antagonistic, never picked a fight, and took great pains to try to keep him from becoming enraged.
My friends have pointed out that that's not normal. I shouldn't feel the need to insist to the public that I didn't do anything to deserve or provoke physical intimidation, control, or abuse. No one does.
I forgave Graham years ago and was glad to see that he had gotten sober and seemingly had gotten help for his mental health issues—I sincerely wished him well but when I realized I was not the only woman he had done this to, that he has a lifelong pattern of deep contempt for women, I realized he had suckered me once again.
And instead of support for coming forward, Jenny and I have been met with horrific smears, told it was “karma,” or that it wasn’t “that bad.”
So... yeah, that is actually pretty classic.