Katie Thurston is talking about what happened when she reported she was raped.
In a carousel post to Instagram on Saturday, Thurston talked about the aftermath of her ordeal, but gave no specifics on what happened.
In a statement to ET, she said, “I’ve had ample support from my community which allowed me to stay strong over these past seven months. While the outcome is disappointing, I am at peace and turning any pain into purpose and hope to help other survivors of sexual assault.”
Thurston detailed the resources that helped her get through the pain. She also said that the justice system let her down.
“I did everything I should have done as a victim of rape,” she stated in one of her slides. “‘Here are my texts, my calls, my phos, my videos, names witnesses, locations, social media, time stamps, surveillance footage, DNA, my body.’ The warning ‘a guilty verdict is hard in criminal court’ echoed throughout the months, like an annoying parrot you were forced to keep. And as much as I heard it, I still wasn’t ready to be stopped. And yet, without warning, I was.”
She thanked the nurse, therapist, and advocate who supported her amid the ordeal. “This is not a loss to me. I am safe. I am loved. I am supported. No, this is yet another loss in a broken system. Change happens in failure. And the justice system failed me. And continues to fail thousands every single day. But do not give up.”
Thurston has now embarked on a standup comedy career. She starred as The Bachelorette in season 17.