Trigger Warning: This article contains a discussion of sexual assault. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, know that support is available. The National Sexual Assault Hotline provides free, confidential assistance 24/7. Call 800-656-HOPE or visit rainn.org for more information.
Sarah Joy Brown left General Hospital in 2001 after playing Carly for five years. She later returned in 2008 in a new role. The fan-favorite actress played Claudia Zacchara for a year before leaving again. Despite not being on GH in over fifteen years, she’s remained close to her co-stars, especially Maurice Benard.
The GH alum returned as a guest on Maurice Benard’s State of Mind podcast. Sarah Joy Brown opened up about the harrowing experience of a sexual assault and how it ‘blew up’ her life.
Sarah Joy Brown & Maurice Benard Reunite For Podcast
Maurice Benard often addresses difficult topics with guests on his State of Mind podcast. He created the platform to discuss mental health issues. He shares a diagnosis of bipolar with his fictional soap character, Sonny Corinthos.
Sarah Joy Brown turned somber as she addressed the reason she wanted to be on the podcast.
“Listen, I’m gonna tell you things, I can already feel that it’s gonna be super hard for me to talk about…. Wow, something happened in 2016, and it blew up my life, and I really struggled with my mental health as a result of it for years, horrible isolation,” she said.
Terrifying Sexual Assault
Maurice Benard told her they didn’t have to talk about it, but she pressed on, saying she wanted to speak out because what happened to her is happening to women and men at an alarming rate. The GH alum revealed that she was raped in 2016 and is still struggling with her mental health as a result.
According to Sarah Joy Brown, she was at a bar in Brooklyn, New York, waiting for a friend when a man offered her a drink. She said that she accepted, against her better judgment.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in an unfamiliar room wearing someone else’s clothing. She revealed that a 30-something man was in the room with her and assured her that the clothes she was wearing were his girlfriend’s.
He told her that she had asked him for help at the bar the night before, and that’s how she ended up in his home. Unnerved, the actress tried to call a cab to leave, but the man insisted on calling her an Uber, which then dropped her off at a location different from the address she had requested.
After making her way to her hotel, she realized she had been assaulted and went to a private doctor. She filed a report with Brooklyn division of the NYPD.
Justice System Failed Her
When she later followed up on her case, she found a shocking turn of events. The DA had lost her case and eventually discovered that the police investigated the wrong date. Other errors made it impossible for her to get justice against her rapist.
The actress revealed that she’s been working on an app that will help combat sexual assault, though she didn’t give details.
