Transcript for Senator opens up about surviving abuse
We move on to a very personal revelation from senator Joni Ernst now calling herself a survivor of an abusive husband after divorce papers were released. The senator says it’s made her more sensitive to these issues and shared more of her story overnight. Good morning to you, George. In an interview, she said she was sexually assaulted in college and didn’t want to it but says in the era of #metoo I always believe every person is different and they will confront their demons when they’re ready. This morning, senator Joni Ernst, the first female combat veteran elected to the U.S. Senate. Usa. Reporter: Is speaking out telling Bloomberg about a sexual assault she says she suffered while in college and addressing recent allegations about what she calls an abusive relationship with her estranged husband. I was now forced out as a survivor and I think every survivor should have the right to decide when it’s their time to tell a story. Reporter: This revelation comes just days after divorce filings obtained by “The de men register” paint a dark and troubling time in her marriage saying she was a victim of verbal and physical abuse fighting back tears while speaking with reporters. What I want to remind everybody is that I’m still the same person as I was a week ago. The only difference is that you know more about me now than you did a week ago. Reporter: Senator Ernst and her accusations of infidelity. In an affidavit she claims once they argued and it became physical and she fled the house with her daughter in the middle of the night. Ernst long considered a rising star says in court documents she interviewed to be Donald Trump’s running mate but turned the role down in part because her ex-husband, quote, hated any successes I had and would belittle me and get angry any time I achieved a goal. Her ex-husband did not address allegations of abuse but said he never had an affair and he was the one that gave up his goals so his then wife could pursue her dreams. We did reach out to him but declined to comment.
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