Penny Lancaster bravely reveals she was raped as a teenager

penny lancaster

by Emma Dodds |
Updated on

Penny Lancaster has revealed that she was raped as a teenager trying to make it as a model after being drugged by an industry boss in his hotel room.

Poor Penny, 46, told the shocked Loose Women how she had been a virgin when she was drugged by someone who she thought was offering her a job in her late teens.

The mum-of-two bravely opened up about her traumatic ordeal as the panel discussed sexual harassment in the wake of the alleged Harvey Weinstein atrocities in Hollywood.

WATCH: Penny Lancaster bravely tells the Loose Women that she was drugged and raped as a teenager

As Andrea McLean described how she was once grabbed "down there" by an older male boss in the company, Penny began to discuss how it was mainly older and middle-aged women who were coming forward to tell their stories with the #MeToo hashtag on social media.

However, she explained that this may be because older women finally feel strong enough to speak out, whereas younger women may not feel as though they're able to.

As she explained this, she revealed that she herself knew what it was like as it had happened to her when she was a teenager - and a virgin.

She explained: "I had a job with a fashion designer, then they offered me another opportunity to meet some other people and offered that I go too."

penny lancaster, rod stewart
Penny with her musician husband Rod Stewart pictured in 2003, then aged 33 ©Getty Images

Penny explained how she'd gone along with someone that worked at the fashion company, who had said he needed to stop at his house to get something.

He then offered to pour her a drink, and Penny described what happened next: "Unfortunately, the next thing I knew - even though I don't even remember drinking the drink - but I found myself face down on a bed with him on top of me."

Penny broke down as she began to explain what had happened, revealing that she "couldn't tell her mum and dad," because she knew they would ask why he'd gone to his house.

She went on: "But he was a client that I'd worked with and he'd promised me that I'd meet other people, so I was naive and I trusted him."

She then likened her situation to the recent TV series Liar, saying that her drink was drugged: "I can't remember much of what happened, I just know that he was on top of me and enjoying the experience but I certainly wasn't and I don't really remember much more."

penny lancaster, loose women
©ITV/ Loose Women

"I was too afraid to tell anybody," she added, her voice breaking.

The other panellists praised Penny for having the strength to speak out now, as Penny urged mothers with daughters to encourage them to be open and be able to discuss things like sexual assault.

"They have to know that they won't be told off, it's not their fault, they're not guilty - the other person is and they need to be brave enough to tell the authorities."

"I'd never had sex at that point, so it was a frightening thing," she heartbreakingly revealed.

She went on to say: "You'll end up burying it and try to pretend it never happened, and as a young child you don't have the tools to fight it off."

A huge well done to Penny for having the courage to speak out, and to the other women who are coming forward with their own experiences.

Did you watch Penny on Loose Women today? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter.

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