Ulrika Jonsson has revealed the heartbreaking reason why her rape went unreported after she endured a “terrifying” encounter.
Waiving her right to anonymity, the model and television personality opened up about the ordeal which she claims didn’t exist during her teenage years.
Ulrika, 52, bravely recalled the time she became a victim of “date rape” in 1986 when she was just 19-years-old.
The Swedish-born star said that while she was growing up, the idea of rape involved a “back alley” and a stranger as well as “horrific physical and sexual violence”.
Now, the Gladiators presenter has opened up about why she felt she couldn’t go to the police after being sexually assaulted.
Ulrika has revealed the heartbreaking reason why she didn’t report her rape to the police (Image: SIPA USA/PA Images)
Writing in her column for The Sun, Ulrika said: “I was in a hotel room with someone known to me very briefly and, despite my protestations, I was forced to endure intercourse against my will.
“It was pretty terrifying.”
The mum-of-four went on to add: “When I wrote about this in my autobiography, some were critical that I hadn’t gone to the police.”
The former Gladiators presenter said ‘date rape’ didn’t exist at the time of her attack (Image: WireImage)
Revealing the reason she didn’t report the crime, she continued: “I hadn’t because the notion of date rape did not exist in those days.”
The term date rape is often referred to as a sexual assault by a person romantically involve with their victim.
Ulrika burst into tears while discussing her ordeal on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories (Image: Ken McKay)
Former Celebrity Big Brother champion Ulrika broke down in tears while discussing her ordeal on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.
Ulrika emotionally said: “Afterwards I just lay there. No, no, honestly, I just lay there. He said we should go to the cinema and I said, ‘I can’t go’.
“I don’t remember what I said but I stayed and he left. I actually don’t think he realised what he’d done.”
Ulrika first discussed her rape in her 2002 autobiography, Honest, saying she had been raped by a well-known television personality while she was working as a secretary.
* Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
