The View co-host and former federal prosecutor Sunny Hostin reminded viewers who watched the documentary “Chris Brown: A History of Violence” on Sunday night that intimate partner violence knows no boundaries. I would like people to know about this.
“Domestic violence is an epidemic hiding in plain sight. It’s not discrimination. Wealth has very little to do with many cases in that regard,” Hostin told Chris Brown on Friday. He spoke to The Hollywood Reporter before hosting an after-discussion on domestic violence that will air after the investigative discovery doc.
The documents first came to light in 2009 when Brown pleaded guilty to a felony count of physical assault on his ex-girlfriend Rihanna, including intimate partner violence, assault charges and sexual assault charges. The investigation investigated Brown’s long-standing off-stage allegations of violence.
“It wasn’t an isolated incident. Just having a famous name on it drew attention. And our goal was to say, ‘This is happening to so many people, you’re not alone. “It’s not,” said Hostin, who also serves on the board of Safe Horizon, a national organization that works to reduce violence and abuse in relationships.
She added that no progress will be made in eradicating domestic violence unless allegations and incidents involving celebrity abusers are sensationalized and ordinary victims’ stories are heard. “This doesn’t just happen to celebrities. It doesn’t just happen to Rihanna. It doesn’t just happen to R. Kelly and P. Diddy and Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein,” Hostin argued.
Although the legal system can hold domestic and intimate partner abusers accountable, high-profile cases involving the wealthy and famous receive less media attention. Given the scale of the problem, Ms. Hostin decided to host a panel discussion after the Brown doc’s premiere to provide tools and resources to educate viewers on how to identify abuse and stop domestic violence. He said he jumped at the chance to host it. Hostin will be joined by NO MORE Co-Founder Jane Randell, National Domestic Violence Hotline CEO Katie Ray Jones, Miss Kansas 2024 and Healthy Relationships Advocate Alexis Smith, Experts and advocates participated, including cultural journalist Skaachi Kuhl and psychologist Dr. Carolyn West.
“It’s really important to know if it’s happening to a friend or family member, or even to yourself, because part of it is not just emotional abuse; It can include isolation, psychological abuse, economic abuse and even sexual abuse,” she added.
Hostin pointed out that abusers without assets also have enablers. “I’ve heard from (survivors) that they’ve contacted their families and they don’t believe them, or they try to convince them to stay with their abuser. This does happen. ‘ she claimed.
When asked about the post-#MeToo entertainment industry, where Harvey Weinstein was convicted and jailed and currently incarcerated Sean “Diddy” Combs is awaiting criminal trial including racketeering conspiracy charges. Powerful celebrities can build networks that make it possible. Regarding their sexual abuse, Hostin argued that if good people don’t come forward, bad people will thrive.
“A lot of times people see things but don’t speak up for whatever reason. Maybe their job is at risk. Maybe they don’t recognize the signs. “The enabling part is very worrying,” she said, in giving domestic violence survivors the tools to come forward, share their stories and serve as examples for others. , added that her discussion with the doctor after the premiere was extremely important.
“[Domestic violence]thrives in silence, and unfortunately by not pointing it out and not talking about it, people enable it,” she warned. did.
Speaking with THR earlier this week, ID President Jason Sarlanis said the Brown document also helps launch ID’s third annual “No Excuses for Abuse” campaign, which “normalizes survival. ”, he said.
The doctor had a lengthy interview with accuser Jane Doe, who was invited to a party hosted by fellow rapper Diddy at Star Island in December 2020, and claimed that Brown raped her in a bedroom on his yacht. The doc follows recent arrests and criminal charges against Diddy, who will also be the subject of an ID documentary series scheduled for release in 2025.
When producers of the ID doc contacted Brown and his representatives, the singer’s attorney said the allegations on the show were “malicious and false.”
“This (Chris Brown) documentary serves as a cautionary tale for viewers insofar as it illustrates the patterns and cycles of abuse that occur between men and women that perpetuate domestic violence. You can shine a light on something,” Sarlanis told THR.
