Written by Andrelyn Izquierdo.
A curated and personal tale shared with influential and inspiring women of defending ourselves.
Screenshots taken by Andrelyn Izquierdo.
WARNING: This article contains sensitive content and may be found offensive or triggering to some people. It is intended for educational and awareness purposes to help victims and their loved ones to recognize signs of Racism, Harassment, Human Trafficking, Sex Trafficking, Rape, or more. Very graphic details may include explanations from my personal experiences. If for any reason you are not ready to see details of abuse, feel free to move on and come back when you are ready. It is also recommended that you view this with a friend or family member for emotional support.
"Serial rapist and killer William Lewis abducts Olivia in her home, tortures her, and hides her away in a Long Island beach home." - IMDb.com
Females are often seen as inferior and referred to as delicate little flowers. Throughout my life, I have gone through so many forms of abuse that I love going back to viewing movies and television series that feature strong women who fight back against their abusers when caught in terrible situations. Things may look too over-the-top on the screen, but for me, I can relate to almost all of them.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and William Lewis (Pablo Schreiber)
Apple TV+
Season 15 Episode 1
YouTube.com
Olivia Benson (& William Lewis) | Psycho
This video shows the clip of when she was fighting back for her life while being held captive by a serial rapist.
YouTube.com
Shades of Blue
Harlee Santos (Jennifer Lopez) & Ex-Boyfriend Miguel Zepeda (Antonio Jaramillo)
YouTube.com
One Last Lie
History behind the scene:
"In "Fall of Man", Harlee meets with her ex, Miguel Zepeda, in prison when he calls her. He wants Harlee to find Frank Kovach, the man he thinks really killed the runaway girl he was convicted of killing. Zepeda doesn’t know that Harlee set him up. He asks to speak with his daughter, Cristina.
During his time in prison, we wrote letters to Cristina Santos. Harlee says that he was her boyfriend at the time but he’s not Cristina’s father. She also tells Cristina about how Zepeda made her feel special but she also shows her photos of when Zepeda beat her. Harlee says there was another man whom she loved but left when he found out she was pregnant. Harlee claims she told Zepeda but he refused to believe it. Cristina decides she doesn’t need to read any more of Zepeda’s letters.
In "Undiscovered Country", Stahl realizes that Harlee and Kovach both have a connection back to Miguel Zepeda and he and his partner visit him in jail but Zepeda stonewalls them. Stahl continues to try and figure out the connection.
In "Live Wire Act", Molly goes to the DA and asks him to make a deal with Zepeda to avoid a lawsuit. He agrees. Zepeda signs a deal where he is immediately exonerated but signs away his rights to sue the city of New York.
In "What Devil Do", knowing Zepeda is innocent, Molly gets him released from jail. Almost immediately he begins to follow Harlee around. Miguel is not so much interested in Harlee as he is in Cristina. When he comes to the door of the Santos’ apartment, Cristina follows her mom’s dictums and won’t interact with him.
In "The Breach", Miguel tells Cristina that the bruises on Harlee in those photos are because she tripped down the stairs and that he was set up put in prison. Miguel finds out that Cristina calls Wozniak Uncle Woz and that she has for her entire life. Later, Harlee offers Miguel a “life changing” amount of money to move and leave her and Cristina alone.
In "One Last Lie", Cristina runs off with Miguel. Miguel tells Harlee that Cristina called him because she was mad at her and that she’s at his mom’s. Cristina is furious when Harlee arrives but goes with her. Harlee promises Miguel $200,000 if he’ll leave Cristina alone for good. Miguel enters Harlee's home and is sitting in the kitchen with her gun. He attempts to rape her, saying first he’ll punish her and then he’ll punish Cristina. Harlee snaps his neck." (Wiki)
Youtube.com
Vikings
Queen Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and King Jarl Sigvard (Morten Suurballe)
YouTube.com
Episode Overview: Season 2 Episode 6
Unforgiven
King Horik returns to Kattegat with a surprising proposition for Ragnar. Lagertha runs into a less than enthusiastic homecoming from her new husband. Athelstan, struggling with his own inner demons, becomes confidant to King Ecbert.
YouTube.com
About this Scene:
Lagertha defended herself along with her son's name and character after her husband went to rip her shirt open to embarrass her. He attempted to assert his dominance over her in front of the entire dinner hall of members of their Kingdom, but failed at it.
300
Queen of Sparta Gorgo (Lena Headey) and King Leonidas's Brother (Themistocles)
YouTube.com
About the Movie:
"In 480 B.C. a state of war exists between Persia, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Greece. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas (Gerard Butler), king of the Greek city state of Sparta, leads his badly outnumbered warriors against the massive Persian army. Though certain death awaits the Spartans, their sacrifice inspires all of Greece to unite against their common enemy." (Rotten Tomatoes)
In the movie 300, after publicly accusing her in front of the Council of adultery while calling her, "a trickster in true form," she struck him with a sword fatally to avenge and protect herself from future rape encounters and also to prove to everyone else that she is not an adulteress.
YouTube.com
Enough
Slim (Jennifer Lopez) & Ex-Husband Mitch (Billy Campbell)
About the Movie:
"Working-class waitress Slim (Jennifer Lopez) finds her life transformed when she marries wealthy contractor Mitch (Billy Campbell). She settles into an idyllic suburban life and seems to have everything she wants. Her dream is shattered when she discovers her husband is anything but perfect. His abusive behavior forces her to go on the run, eluding an increasingly obsessive Mitch and his lethal henchman." (Rotten Tomatoes)
The Price You Pay
"After running away fails, a terrified woman empowers herself in order to battle her abusive husband." (IMDb.com)
IMDb.com
It takes a lot of strength, wisdom, and courage to get back up after being hit down to keep defending oneself in any abusive situation. At the end of the day, when there isn't anyone in the room with you except for the attacker, it's up to you to make that decision and try to defend yourself. There is no one set way of doing this. Whenever I am seeking a little extra motivation or empowerment, I look to these movies and then some. If you choose to do the same, remember to keep a box of tissues and order in for the night your favorite kind of pizza. Remember that not everyone can handle seeing a movie full of emotional and psychological triggers of direct violence if the related similar situation is still fresh for you personally, so ask a friend to join you also.
Here are some reminders to take with you:
Please #becareful and try to #besafe.
Bibliography:
Apple TV+. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Surrender Benson/Imprisoned Lives: https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/surrender-benson--imprisoned-lives/umc.cmc.179urw8t17btkmpnzx4xe63e3 9/1/23.
Fandom. 300 Wiki. Gorgo: https://300.fandom.com/wiki/Gorgo 9/6/23.
Fandom. Vikings Wiki. Sigvard: https://vikings.fandom.com/wiki/Sigvard 9/6/23.
History Channel. Vikings: https://www.history.com/shows/vikings/season-2/episode-6#:~:text=Unforgiven&text=King%20Horik%20returns%20to%20Kattegat,becomes%20confidant%20to%20King%20Ecbert. 9/4/23.
IMDb. Amazon. Enough: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278435/ 9/4/23.
IMDb. Amazon. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Surrender Benson/Imprisoned Lives: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2876044/?ref_=tt_mv_close 9/1/23.
IMDb. Amazon. Vikings: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3358060/ 9/6/23.
Rotten Tomatoes. 300: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/300 9/6/23.
Rotten Tomatoes. Enough: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1114051-enough#:~:text=Movie%20Info,contractor%20Mitch%20(Billy%20Campbell). 9/6/23.
Shades of Blue Wiki. Miguel Zepeda: https://shades-of-blue.fandom.com/wiki/Miguel_Zepeda 9/1/23.
YouTube. 300 (2006) The Council - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15pCcwtCSdc 9/4/23.
#abuse #domesticviolence #awareness #selfdefense #sexualviolence #safety #rape #sexualviolenceawareness #motivation #resource #UnseenFortitude #empowerment #blogger
This information was gathered from friends, family, and my life experiences combined.
Inspired by my true story.
Thank you for reading.
Feel free to leave a comment below.
This article is written by:
Andrelyn Izquierdo
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