Bergen Native, Actress Mira Sorvino Reveals She Was Date Raped

Actress Mira Sorvino revealed this week she is the victim of date rape.

The Tenafly, New Jersey native and Academy Award-winner spoke about it publicly for the first time a press conference with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to help push New York lawmakers to drop the statute of limitations on rape allegations.

Sorvino is an activist with the Time's Up movement, which was founded by Hollywood celebrities in response to sexual harassment allegations made against disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein and others.

Sorvino made headlines in 2017 when she revealed in a report by The New Yorker that Weinstein sexually harassed her.

"I can stand here before you and say that not only was I a sexual harassment and battery victim at the hands of Mr. Weinstein, but I'm a sexual assault victim and a survivor of date rape," Sorvino said, her voice cracking with emotion. "I've never said that last part in public because it is impossible sometimes to share these sorts of things and I'm doing it here to try and help because there are all these survivors out there now who need justice."

Sorvino did not elaborate on what happened to her. She said victims of second-degree rape, which is what hers constitutes, "feel shame. You feel like it's your fault."

Sorvino said she had not dealt with past traumas and had not looked for the help she knew she needed. She praised the #MeToo movement, but said the last 18 months during which it took off were "highly traumatizing on personal level" because she had to revisit her past.

Sorvino and fellow actor Ashley Judd said in 2017 that Weinstein's production company, Miramax, blacklisted them from being cast in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the Australian publication Stuff reported last year. Both said they suspected he derailed their careers after they rebuffed him.

Related: Mira Sorvino: I Was Gagged With A Condom At Audition

Judd and Sorvino were among the first stars to go public with their tales of abuse at the hands Weinstein. Sorvino won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role in "Mighty Aphrodite."

"It is extremely important for all the past victims, present survivors, and future, would-be victims, let's prevent this," Sorvino said. "Let's stop the triage and start changing the landscape now to say that time is up for sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual harassment and rape."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com