Caitlin Dulany is a plaintiff’s in Harvey Weinstein’s civil case and as a Silence Breaker has been instrumental in helping ignite the #MeToo Movement, including helping to launch Voices in Action. Caitlin shared her experience coming forward against someone with so much power with Voices in Action:
On the morning of October 5, 2017, when the New York Times story about Harvey Weinstein’s years of sexual predation broke, my sister sent me a text. It said simply, ‘You should tell your story’. Harvey had assaulted me 21 years prior, at the Cannes film festival, after grooming me and gaining my trust when I was a young actress in New York in the mid-1990’s.
Nothing about telling my story seemed simple. I was scared. I was ashamed. I felt deeply anxious, as I had for many years. A familiar sadness and deep desperation washed over me. To never speak of these things gave me a sense of power and control over my life, albeit false and fleeting. Yet, the feelings of isolation, as if no one would or should ever know the real me, had played a devastating role in my life. I was in a prison of my own, keeping secrets that weren’t mine, that hurt me and my well being. The truth was, I had always wanted to say it out loud. I just didn’t know how. I thought it would destroy me. It felt unspeakable.
When I decided to tell my story a few weeks later, it was hard to get the words out at first. It felt like I was going through the motions, as if someone else was saying the words while I listened from afar. And afterwards, there was often a flood of emotions that were hard to bear. Yet, the more I spoke, the better and stronger I felt. It took time but declaring the truth, owning it and leaving the secrets behind started me on a journey of healing and empowerment that I never imagined possible.
It was the voices of the #MeToo movement that gave me courage and support during that time and it is those who continue to speak out that help me move forward on my journey of healing and hope. We are a community. We are strong and loving. We are survivors.
Caitlin Dulany is an actor, mother, Silence Breaker, and advocate fighting sexual assault and violence. In 2018, Caitlin worked with Voices in Action to help get the organization off the ground. She is a trusted friend, ally, and warrior in the Movement.
