Rihanna’s been getting a lot of backlash from people since she released her Man Down video. Yeah, we get that it is controversial, but we still maintain that there is a larger message attached to the vid’s graphic “murder” scene that a lot people are getting.
Someone who does get it is actress Gabrielle Union. In a slew of very personal tweets, Gabrielle revealed how as a survivor of rape, she understood the message RiRi was trying to convey with her video and also revealed that she actually tried to shoot her own rapist in the most horrific moment of her life. She confessed to her followers:
“Saw ├óΓé¼╦£Man Down├óΓé¼Γäó by @rihanna. Every victim/survivor of rape is unique, including how they THINK they├óΓé¼Γäód like justice 2 be handed out.
Stranger who robbed the store I worked at. He put his gun dwn durin the rape & asked me 2 [hand] it 2 him.
During my rape I tried 2 shoot my rapist, bt I missed. Over the yrs I realized tht killin my rapist would’ve added insult 2 injury. The DESIRE 2 kill someone whose abused/raped u is understandable, bt unless its self defense n the moment 2 save ur life, just ADDS 2 ur troubles #mandown.”
Wow. Such an awful thing to have lived through. But, thankfully, she did live through it and now she does such wonderful, empowering work with rape crisis centers in this country. Really inspiring.
And see, there is the true message of the video:
Rise above the horror that has happened in your life, don’t sink down to it. Words to live by.
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