Denise Richards Opens Up About Being Sexually Harassed And How She Was Pressured To Stay Silent: “I Was Told I Would Be Blacklisted”

deadline.com:

Denise Richards opened up about a time early in her career where she was sexually harassed and pressured by those around her to stay silent about it.

The Wild Things star revealed to People that as a young actress she once considered filing a sexual harassment lawsuit. “I was told I would be blacklisted,” the reality TV personality recalled.

She continued, “I felt so vulnerable. This was the career I wanted to do. To be told that you’re never going to work in an industry that you are passionate about, it’s a hard thing.” While Richards didn’t give additional details, she said she was “amazed” by the progress Hollywood has made in the wake of the #MeToo movement: “There definitely needed to be a change — and not just in the entertainment industry.” Richards concluded, “I am glad that women are able to have more of a voice and be more protected.

If that happened at this age, I would handle it differently, but I was so young and an unknown and [just] starting out.” The Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test contestant said she’s “so proud” of her three daughters and has learned from their “confidence” and willingness to speak up, a quality she said she didn’t possess as a “people pleaser” nascent starlet in the entertainment industry.