'iZombie' actor Rahul Kohli reveals childhood sex abuse: 'We are not alone and we are not to blame'
British actor Rahul Kohli says he was a victim of childhood sexual abuse.
The 33-year-old actor best known for his role in The CW’s iZombie made the candid confession on social media on Monday. He wrote, “The longer I keep my secret, the longer I feel like I’m protecting someone who doesn’t deserve it and letting down others who are too afraid to step forward and confront their own past.”
The longer I keep my secret, the longer I feel like I’m protecting someone who doesn’t deserve it and letting down others who are too afraid to step forward and confront their own past. I was a victim of sexual abuse as a child. We are not alone and we are not to blame.
— Rahul Kohli (@RahulKohli13) March 11, 2019
He concluded his short statement by sending a clear message other victims of abuse: “We are not alone and we are not to blame.”
His post, which he also shared on Instagram, has been getting a lot of praise from across the internet, including from Supergirl actor Mehcad Brooks (Kohli appeared on that show in 2017), who wrote, “You have my support and thank you so much for your strength and bravery.”
This will help a great many people, I'm sure of it. 💞 You're a good egg with class and strong character, Rahul.
— Mitch Dyer (@MitchyD) March 11, 2019
Suffice to say, you're doing a commendably brave and strong thing speaking about this, you have a ton of support, and you're no doubt helping a lot of people be equally brave in the immediate future and well beyond.
— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) March 11, 2019
Proud of you, my friend. Love you.
— Russ Burlingame (@russburlingame) March 11, 2019
Thank you for your bravery. I support you and I'm so sorry. ♥️
— Meg Bonney (@MegBonneyWriter) March 11, 2019
Kohli became engaged to his girlfriend, Yasmin Molloy, in July. She posted a heart in response to his abuse admission.
♥️
— Yasmin 🧿 (@Thecurlymolloy) March 11, 2019
Kohli has touched a little on his childhood in interviews. He was born in London to a mother from Thailand and a father from Kenya and he’s of Indian descent. He has a sister and said, while his parents weren’t rich, they made sure they “saw as much of the world as possible.” They’d travel to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and around Europe. School plays led to him being bitten by the acting bug, though he has said the struggle to become a working actor was real.
In addition to finishing out iZombie’s fifth and final season, which debuts in May, Kohli signed on to voice Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in the new Harley Quinn animated series, which also sees Kaley Cuoco as a star/producer. It debuts in October on DC Universe.
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