Former WWE star Sean “X-Pac” Waltman posted a candid blog earlier this week, which you can read in its entirety over at RealXPac.com. In talking about the incredible work that Mick Foley has done for the RAINN (Rape,Abuse & Incest National Network) charity, Waltman made a startling personal admission – that he was repeatedly sexually abused as a child. Major props to Sean Waltman for having the courage to speak about such a personal subject in order to help others ..
“I’ve always really liked, admired, respected, and been a fan of Mick’s. Mick and I have always gotten a long well whenever we were around each other, but due to differences in our lifestyle during those years (Mick not being caught up in the whole party scene, while I was) we never really had the opportunity to become close, but I did think of him as a friend. When I recently learned Mick had joined forces with RAINN (Rape,Abuse & Incest National Network), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, I reached out to him to express my sincere gratitude for his work in fighting & helping bring awareness to this epidemic. Recently Mick joined me on Cowheadtv.com for an in depth discussion about the state of wrestling & more importantly, his work with RAINN. Many of you may be asking yourselves, “Why is X Pac so concerned with Mick Foley’s cause?” Good question; here’s the answer: I am a survivor of repeated sexual abuse/molestation, from about age 5 to around the age of 12, at the hands of both female & male perpetrators. The most psychologically damaging incidents came at the hands of an adult male who actually brought me to my first pro wrestling match.
It took me until I was in my late 20?s to finally come out and tell my family and the authorities what happened. I had pretty much blocked the experiences from my memory until I moved my family to Florida, where I grew up & this all happened, and this guy tried coming around. I freaked out as I remembered everything that happened & that this guy would be around my own children. By this time, who knows how many other children were exposed to him? That thought alone filled me with guilt. It’s so difficult for victims of sexual abuse to come forward. The shame & fear involved in coming forward is overwhelming. Feeling like it’s our fault or fearing what people will think of you prevent many from ever coming forward. Some people take it to the grave with them. The harm done by these perpetrators is in a lot of ways permanent. I choose to talk openly about it, hoping it may inspire others to come forward and expose these people. This is a huge step in dealing with the psychological damage done to the victim & can also save others from having to suffer the same fate. So I can’t thank Mick enough for his work with RAINN.”
