'Little Miss Sunshine' star Abigail Breslin says she's 'still healing' after opening up as a domestic violence survivor
- Abigail Breslin shared an Instagram post on Friday for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
- Breslin said she was in an abusive relationship for two years.
Abigail Breslin said she experienced domestic violence in a previous abusive relationship.
Breslin shared the candid details Friday on Instagram to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which occurs each October. The 26-year-old began the multi-slide post with a trigger warning for her 532,000 followers.
"As a DV survivor I felt compelled to write a little bit about my story," Breslin wrote. "I was in a very abusive relationship for close to 2 years. It all started out perfectly, I was so in love. Unfortunately, my abuser took advantage of my innocence and naïeveté and the relationship subsequently became violent."
Breslin continued that she was "beaten on a regular basis" and dealt with "intense injuries."
"I was beaten on a regular basis, locked into rooms and forced to pretend everything was ok and normal while dealing with intense injuries…injuries most people didn't even see," Breslin wrote. "I would use concealer and caked on foundation to hide any and all bruises, because in some way, I still cared for this person."
Breslin wrote that her physical injuries were accompanied by "a plethora" of verbal abuse, shaming, and "put downs."
"I felt so unworthy of anyone's love," she wrote. "I felt ugly and hated. I felt like I deserved less than dirt. I was certain, there must be something inherently wrong with me. That I was a bitch, a problem, stupid, useless, ridiculous, overly sensitive, unreasonable and unlovable."
Breslin said those two years were "the loneliest I ever felt" before thanking her family and friends for their "invaluable role in helping me leave this horrible situation."
The "Zombieland" actress then touched on her current engagement to 31-year-old Ira Kunyansky. The couple announced their engagement in February.
"I now am in a wonderful, healthy, happy, and amazing relationship with my fiancé. My C-PTSD (complex post traumatic stress disorder) is much better than it was in the first 2-3 years after my abusive relationship, but, I still have moments," Breslin wrote. "I still occasionally have nightmares, and certain things still do trigger me. I am still healing."
Representatives for Breslin did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reported that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Insider's Rebecca Strong spoke with licensed professional counselors Elizabeth Fedrick and Dr. Taish Malone, to share nine subtle signs of domestic abuse. Regarding how to get help, Dr. Malone said finding a therapist or support group can help domestic violence victims identify and work through the effects of abuse, bolster self-esteem if it's been affected, and come up with a safety plan for leaving.
If therapy isn't accessible, Fedrick suggested telling a loved one who can validate the experience and provide emotional support.