PHOTOSMeryl Streep Claims She Dealt With ‘Real Physical Violence’ On Two Separate Instances
Nov. 17 2017, Published 3:55 p.m. ET
Meryl Streep just opened up about two horrific & violent incidents in her life which she claims changed her on a “cellular level.” She took to the stage for the 27th annual International Press Freedom Awards on Wednesday, where she spoke in depth about both situations and revealed that fellow actress Cher was there for one of them. Click-through for the details.
She made a surprising speech during the annual awards for the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York City, whom she praised for putting themselves in harm’s way to be the country’s “first line of defense against tyranny and state-sanctioned news,” per The Daily Beast.
Meryl honored female journalists in particular during her speech for their bravery, which she then started discussing her own experiences with physical violence. “I do know something about real terror — the two times in my life when I was threatened and dealt with real physical violence, I learned something about life that I wouldn’t have known otherwise and I was lucky because my instincts served me well,” she revealed.
One of the situations involved her being viciously attacked. “In one instance, I played dead and waited until the blows stopped — watching like people say you do from about 50 feet above from where I was beaten,” she continued.
The other instance did not happen to her directly, but to someone around her and her Silkwood costar. “And in the second instance, someone else was being abused and I just went completely nuts and went after this man. Ask Cher- she was there. And the thug ran away, it was a miracle.”
Cher spoke with US Magazine about this incident a couple of years back, where she claimed her and Meryl saved a girl from a large mugger in New York City. The two are once again teaming up for the sequel to Mamma Mia!
Meryl added that she was “changed by these events on a cellular level because women do know something particular about coming to the danger place. We come to it disadvantaged through the many millennia preceding our present moment and because of our vulnerability we anticipate danger we expect it, we’re hyper alert to it. This comes in very handy in investigative journalism but also in acting.”
What are your thoughts on Meryl’s horrifying confessions? Sound off in the comments!
