Comedian Beth Stelling Uses Instagram to Discuss the Rape and Abuse She Suffered From Her Ex

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Beth Stelling. Photo: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

While 2022 was a year in which Beth Stelling released a stand up-up record,Only the Beth, and a Comedy CentralOne-half Hour that landed her on Vulture'due south list of the best specials of 2015, it was also 1 in which she was in a physically, sexually, and emotionally abusive relationship with her now ex. Today on Instagram, Stelling posted a photo of her legs covered in bruises along with a long notation that detailed months of abuse she suffered from the relationship. "Information technology's embarrassing. I experience stupid," she writes. "Subsequently being verbally, physically abused and raped, I dated him for two more months. Information technology's not simple." For a fourth dimension, due southhe respected his wishes not to talk about the relationship in her stand up-upward, in an effort not to "hurt" him. She doesn't proper name her ex, but says that it's at present important for her to speak out about this, considering her work straight pulls from her life. "My personal is my professional. That is how I've always been; I brand dark, funny," she writes. You can see the post and read the full text, below.

Same girl in all of these photos (me). I've had an amazing yr and you've seen the highlights here, so these photos are an uncommon affair to share but not an uncommon result. Y'all may be weirded out simply practice read on. I have a point. There are many reasons not to brand an abusive relationship public, mostly fear. Scared of what people will think, scared it makes me look weak or unprofessional.

When I bankrupt upward with my ex this summer, it wasn't considering I didn't love him, it was because of this. And I admittedly relapsed and contacted him with things I shouldn't accept, just there are no "all-time practices" with this. When friends or comics ask why we broke up it'south not easy or comfortable to reply; it doesn't seem like the appropriate thing to say at a stand-upwardly prove, a political party or a nuptials. It's embarrassing. I feel stupid. After being verbally, physically abused and raped, I dated him for two more than months. Information technology'due south not elementary.

After I broke upwardly with him he said, "You're very open and honest in your stand-up, and I just ask that y'all consider me when you talk about your ex considering everyone knows who you're talking almost." And I abided. I wrote vague jokes because we both live in L.A. and I didn't want to hurt him, offset a war, press charges, be interrogated or harassed by him or his friends and family. I wanted to motility on and forget because I didn't understand. I don't want revenge or to hurt him now, simply information technology's unhealthy to go on this inside because my stand-upwardly is pulled directly from my life. It's how I make my living. My personal is my professional person. That is how I've always been; I make night, funny.

So now I'm allowing this to be role of my story. It's not my only story, so please don't let it be. If you live in L.A., y'all've already started to hear my jokes almost this and I ask you to have the courage to listen and accept it considering I'm trying. Already since talking about this onstage, many women have come to me after shows asking me to keep doing it. Men accept shown their solidarity.

An ex-girlfriend of this ex-swain came to me and shared that she experienced the same fate. And then there was some other and another (men and women) who shared other injustices at his hand that..

shattered my belief that I was an exception. I am not lonely; unfortunately I'1000 in a line of smart, funny women who experienced this from the same man in our L.A. comedy community. I couldn't stay in our relationship waiting for it to happen again and I won't continue it a hugger-mugger any longer so that a future woman has a fair chance of avoiding it. I don't have all the answers. I'm doing my best to piece of work through this. There are more than stories out in that location from men and women and they don't all involve getting raped past a stranger in an aisle. Many are crapes (the coziest kind) in the comfort of your own bed.

Comic Beth Stelling Talks of Rape on Instagram