Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher has revealed that she was abused as a child, in a courageous interview with Vanity Fair magazine.
The star told how her uncle, Richard Hayes Stone abused her from the age of five, leaving her emotionally vulnerable and considering suicide. She said that her parents' reaction was guilt and denial, although from the age of eight, they kept Stone away from their daughter.
Her demons came back to huant her in 2002, when she bravely stepped in to help convict of him sexual molestation, after a neighbour comitted suicide, leaving a note simply stating 'Ask Dick'. Experts say that without her help, the case would have been thrown out of court. Hatcher also mentioned that the ordeal has caused her long-term pain and emotional issue, saying that she carries around "layers of fear and vulnerability," which has left her with trust problems and affected her ability to have relationships with other men.
The District Attorney who dealt with the case has praised Hatcher for her courage in speaking out about it, saying that actress could become a role model for other abuse survivors: "If there's someone now who sees Teri come forward, and sees her as a role model who survived and became the epitome of success, and they think, 'I can get past it...' How great is that? | 
