Joey Swoll Recounts Harrowing Experience Of Being Harassed By A Woman At A Bar, Then Deletes Post
Joey Swoll, the fitness icon known for his ironclad physique and ability to inspire millions of fans, shared a harrowing personal revelation online in a now-deleted post.
In a raw and unfiltered Instagram Story that was visible on April 7, Joey disclosed an incident where he said he became the victim of sexual assault by a woman, highlighting the often ignored reality that men, too, can be prey to such violations. The Instagram Story, however, remained up only for a short period and was later deleted.
Joey Swoll posted an Instagram Story narrating an incident where he said he was sexually assaulted by a woman
Image credits: Joey Swoll
“Last week, I went to meet some friends out at a local bar in Costa Mesa. The bar was packed shoulder to shoulder. Trying to get through the crowd to my friends, I walked passed [sic] a group of young women. Not paying attention, I felt someone grab my chest,” the message said.
“Thinking WTF I looked over to see one of the young women grabbing me saying “Nice muscles, but how big’s your d*ck?” he went on to say. “Before I could even say a word to her she reached down and grabbed my crotch. I froze and just stared at her. I was literally speechless. I didn’t know what to do. If that was a man I would have immediately hit him and defended myself, but I would never hit a woman.”
The fitness guru said his friends laughed the incident off when he shared the experience with them
Image credits: Joey Swoll
Joey said he was “completely shocked” over the alleged sexual assault incident, but his friends laughed it off and dismissed it when he attempted to share the trauma with them.
“Completely shocked I just kept on pushing my way through people. I thought to myself, I should call the cops and have her arrested, but in all honesty, they would just laugh and not believe me, a 230 lbs guy with muscles, was sexually assaulted by a 110 lbs woman? When I got to my friends (guys and girls) I told them what happened and they all just laughed and dismissed it,” he concluded.
No mention of the incident was made in Joey’s later posts or Instagram Stories. The fitness icon has also not made a public acknowledgment of the incident.
Although the post was up on the public platform for only a brief period, the message still underscored the need to challenge the stigma surrounding male victims of sexual assault and the importance of creating safe spaces for all victims to seek support without judgment.
Joey eventually deleted the Instagram Story and has not addressed the alleged sexual assault incident since
Image credits: Joey Swoll
Almost one-fourth of men in the U.S. reported experiencing some form of contact sexual violence, according to CDC. Moreover, most victims faced their first experience of intimate partner violence, sexual violence or stalking before they turned 25.
“There is a lack of specialist services for male victim-survivors and similarly there is a lack of specialist services for women who use violence,” Helen Consta, senior manager of family violence and victims assistance services at Windermere in Australia, told ABC News Australia.
She also noted how men may feel “shame” when it comes to talk about their experiences when compared to women.
“How often do I encounter men who are victims of domestic violence? Not as often as women. But of the men who do come forward, coercive control is often one of the presenting factors,” she told the outlet. “They’re often not terrorized in terms of being physically in fear of their life. But they certainly experience mental health impacts, feelings of hopelessness and shame — particularly about talking about it … and so they can feel weak, ineffectual.”
Elise Stephens, who works with an agency working with male victims, said it’s time society looks past preconceived notions about what a victim is meant to look like.
“Everyone is so caught up in the idea that women are always the primary victim and men are the aggressor — we get so fixated on which person did what to whom, but forget to look at the bigger picture, and how we can help people,” Elise told the outlet.
Abuse is “not about gender as such, it’s about assessing the victim who comes through, their family as a whole. What do they want and need, how can we help them … have respectful relationships?” she added.
I'm glad it was pointed out that men can be victims, too. Sexual assault and domestic violence are often portrayed as problems only women experience.
My father was a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of my mother for decades. My mother would hit him, cut his back and arms with butcher knives, throw things at him, and verbally and emotionally abuse him as well. He never lifted a finger to defend himself against her or stop her. I used to sometimes walk into his bedroom to see his back covered in bloody gouges from my mom's knife. I told teachers a number of times, but no one believed me that my 5'2" mother, a woman, could possibly be physically abusing my father, a man. It was an incredibly harrowing experience for me as a child, and perhaps because of my experience with it, I LOATHE the ideology that "only women can be sexually abused/victims of domestic violence". I know not everyone has that mindset, but some people do, and it infuriates me.
Load More Replies... Assault is assault and should always be taken seriously and reported to the police.
This is like the 5th article your site has posted about this guy. As this type of content has nothing to do with Bored Panda, can we assume his publicist is paying you for the ad space?
I think that the topic about sexual assault isn't done yet. The world went from "protect your daughters" to "educate your sons". Times are different. There are lines you shouldn't cross and it's okay to talk about where those lines are. If this happened to a woman it would be wrong. Why is there a double standard? Why does he have to suck it up? Because nothing really happened. But what he felt is real. This conversation is not just about what happened but why people don't take him or this situation serious. Imo this article should be here and the discussion should be opened.
Load More Replies... I'm glad it was pointed out that men can be victims, too. Sexual assault and domestic violence are often portrayed as problems only women experience.
My father was a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of my mother for decades. My mother would hit him, cut his back and arms with butcher knives, throw things at him, and verbally and emotionally abuse him as well. He never lifted a finger to defend himself against her or stop her. I used to sometimes walk into his bedroom to see his back covered in bloody gouges from my mom's knife. I told teachers a number of times, but no one believed me that my 5'2" mother, a woman, could possibly be physically abusing my father, a man. It was an incredibly harrowing experience for me as a child, and perhaps because of my experience with it, I LOATHE the ideology that "only women can be sexually abused/victims of domestic violence". I know not everyone has that mindset, but some people do, and it infuriates me.
Load More Replies... Assault is assault and should always be taken seriously and reported to the police.
This is like the 5th article your site has posted about this guy. As this type of content has nothing to do with Bored Panda, can we assume his publicist is paying you for the ad space?
I think that the topic about sexual assault isn't done yet. The world went from "protect your daughters" to "educate your sons". Times are different. There are lines you shouldn't cross and it's okay to talk about where those lines are. If this happened to a woman it would be wrong. Why is there a double standard? Why does he have to suck it up? Because nothing really happened. But what he felt is real. This conversation is not just about what happened but why people don't take him or this situation serious. Imo this article should be here and the discussion should be opened.
Load More Replies...
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