TikTok star Loren Gray opened up about being sexually assaulted when she was 12 years old. Gray, who claims more than 42 million TikTok followers, uploaded a poignant video recently about her sexual abuse, the emotional impact it has had on her subsequently.

Gray, aged 18, began with a photo of her younger self. “I want to tell you my genuine story, That is myself, not long before my thirteenth birthday, nearly five years ago. Now, in the basement of somebody I trusted, I had my innocence snatched away. I told only one person and she’s still my best friend to this day. For hours we shouted in my bathroom.”

The star of social media said, “I tried hard to put together the pieces to find out why it occurred to me. I had to tell my parents two months later. I felt dirty, desperate, shattered, and meaningless. I’ve been puzzled and frightened. It was my fault, I felt like it. I’ve been schooling and started to make videos to spend time relieving the loneliness and isolation I’ve felt. People watched my films and though I was still struggling I felt that, regardless of my situation, I finally discovered those who took care of me. However, the remarks and queries might be too much from time to time. ‘You are a virgin? ‘She looks like a whore.'”

“With worry that others would see me differently, and lose those that I cared for,” she added. “I was always reluctant to tell people my tale. “Now I’m 18 and I learned my history doesn’t define me. It’s never been my fault and I’ve never merited it.”

“I’m proud of myself and I have come out stronger,” said Gray. “At the end of the tunnel there is light and if my tale will even benefit one person, it’s worth telling to me.”

Gray apologized for not being online so much, in a follow-up statement on Twitter, stating, “It was so difficult for me to share this part of my life in such an open way.” Gray stated that she was overwhelmed by the support and love felt today.

“And how often this happens also tears my heart,” she remarked. “I’m fortunate I have such helpful relatives and friends, who have never judged or criticized me. I am thankful.” I am very appreciative.

Making of Videos

The other thing that helped Loren to cope up was making videos, which she began to do a few months later when she was trained at home. “When I first got videos, I felt I had to divide the two worlds. It helped me separate my feelings from my reality.”

For enabling her to get through a hard moment, she credits her admirers. “They didn’t know what had happened, so they just were there to help me do what I did and how I loved shooting videos.”

Loren did not let what had transpired influence her destiny. The most essential thing. “I know it feels like life is defined, especially at the time. You’ll look differently at yourself, even though other people think differently, although not,” she added. “You’ll appear different. But this isn’t always the case, it’s vital to know. At the end of the tunnel, there is always a light.”

Sexual assault is tragically all too common. According to RAINN, an American is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds, yet the great majority of assaults are never recorded. It helps other survivors to feel less alone when someone with a large platform brings up their own experience, reminds them that this was not their fault, and could even push people to share their stories.

You can seek help by calling the national sexual violence hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) if you or someone you know was sexually assaulted.