Denise Richards "froze" when she was sexually assaulted as a teenager.
Denise Richards 'froze' when she was sexually assaulted as a teenager
The 53-year-old actress - who is now married to Aaron Phypers but has Sami, 20, and 19-year-old Lola with ex-husband Charlie Sheen as well as adoptive daughter Eloise, 12 - is currently taking part in the tough military challenge show 'Special Forces: World's Toughest Test' and explained that she has been unable to speak out of fear at some points amid certain incidents in her life.
Speaking on the season three premiere of the Fox reality show, she explained: "Part of the reason I wanted to do this course is I've been in situations where I freeze and I can't function, I can't even speak to protect myself.
"We were driving. He wanted to take me to set.
"He didn't want me going alone, thank God, and we were physically shot at in his truck, and I sat on the floor and was just literally, I peed. I was so scared… I froze.
"The first time I ever experienced that I was 15 and I noticed a man following me.
"He came up from behind me, put his hand around my mouth, grabbed my vagina, and started dragging me, and I froze, like I couldn't even scream for help."
The 'Wild Things' star admitted that she had only told her husband about the assault until now and doesn't want her daughters to experience anything like she did.
She added: "It's so scary to have that situation, you know, that age and be so vulnerable. And I have three daughters, and I want them to be able to never go through that. And also, if something, God forbid, happen to be strong enough."
In a confessional, she said: "I think that I haven't addressed a lot of what I have gone through, and it's very terrifying. I don't know if I would be able to get over my past."
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