'Red Table Talk' exclusive: Rumer Willis talks consent, getting body shamed by media at 14

by 24USATVOct. 20, 2020, 3 a.m. 106
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Rumer Willis is opening up about getting shamed for her looks when she was young — and how this led her to believe that others were entitled to her body.

In a clip from Tuesday's episode of "Red Table Talk," shared exclusively with USA TODAY, the 32-year-old actress, who is the daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, opened up about the scrutiny she faced over her looks when she was a teenager.

"I would get myself into a situation, and at some point I had learned that if someone wants, values me sexually, or I feel like they desire me, then they are entitled to me," she said. "When I was like 14, because I was so shamed when all those blogs came out about how I looked, how my face looked, then my idea was that, 'Oh, well then, if I'm desired sexually, then I have value.'"

Jada Pinkett Smith, one of the talk show's hosts, said she understands that mindset.

"Now, I have to be honest with you," Pinkett Smith said. "I went through that stage too, because I was always so petite. I wasn't always 'the girl'... You know, I did get caught up in that a little bit."

Willis agreed that being viewed in a sexual way can feel "like a drug."

The upcoming "Red Table Talk" episode premieres on Facebook Watch at noon EDT and features conversations about consent with hosts Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris and Willow Smith, along with guests Willis, model Amber Rose and former NFL player DeAndre Levy.

In another advance clip from the episode, published by ET Canada, Willis also recalled how pressure to lose her virginity put her in a situation where she was taken advantage of.

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“When I lost my virginity, when I was 18, I was more concerned with the shame that I was feeling at not having done it," she said. "I was not abused, or it wasn’t rape, but I didn’t say 'yes.' I wasn’t gung-ho about it, but I also didn’t say 'no.' I just let it happen."

She continued: "He was older and took advantage and didn’t check in. That’s where I feel like the man’s responsibility is. No means no, but what if you can’t say no?"

'Red Table Talk' exclusive: How cameras in her kids' rooms kept Jessica Alba from 'losing it'

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