When the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke, numerous Hollywood celebrities opened up about their past trauma.
Their brave actions may have had unintended effects on their mental health. Oprah said in a recent interview that she thought Reese Witherspoon may have been suffering from PTSD after the Weinstein scandal.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Oprah discussed with Salma Hayek on her Super Soul Sunday Conversation special how she saw her A Wrinkle in Time co-star exhibit signs of PTSD.
The 64-year-old recounted how they were on set just days after The New York Times story about Weinstein came out, saying:
"Everyone, including Reese -- I've said this to her -- was acting like, I was seeing some of the girls at my school behave, who were suffering from PTSD."
The media mogul added, "Everybody was acting like they were afraid and they were having the conversation."
"And I remember Reese saying, 'Oh god, this is just so upsetting. And someone mentions his name, I start tearing up. And every time I hear someone else speak, it just causes me to be upset and I haven't slept in two days,'" Oprah said.
The talk show host recognised signs of PTSD in her friend's experiences. Symptoms of PTSD include nightmares, flashbacks, isolation, and intrusive and unwanted thoughts.
"So I said, 'Jeez, you guys are suffering from PTSD. Did something happen to you?' Nobody said anything at the time," Oprah recalled.
Reese spoke out in October this year about being sexually assaulted by a director at age 16. She also recently opened up about leaving an abusive relationship at a young age.
Salma Hayek, who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse, told Oprah that she ended up not participating in The New York Times piece about Weinstein largely because of her PTSD.
We hope that Reese, Salma, and everyone who may be struggling with PTSD receive the help they need.
