Melissa Leong has revealed she was sexually abused while working in the hospitality industry 15 years ago.
The MasterChef Australia star made the revelation during an interview with The Age’s Sunday Life ahead of the release of her memoir Guts, documenting her time in the kitchen over the years.
The 43-year-old shared that she was invited to speak about her experience as a woman of colour on TV at an International Women’s Day event, when a speech by fellow panellist and sexual abuse survivor Anna Coutts-Trotter struck a chord with her.
“I identified with [her story] far too much,” Leong confessed.
“I was so ashamed that I just pretended it didn’t happen, so I didn’t keep proof … I just wanted it to all go away,” she said, adding that “for the longest time, I did not identify myself as a survivor of sexual assault.”
Looking back on the lack of conversations around consent during that time, she added: “I let my boundaries be flagrantly crossed, and then I took that blame onto myself for such a long time.”
Leong’s story comes at a time when more women in Australia’s hospitality industry are speaking out about their experiences with abuse and harassment in the workplace.
Last year, hospitality company Swillhouse, which owns six well-known venues across Sydney including Le Foote in The Rocks and Baxter Inn in the CBD, faced serious allegations of misconduct at several of its venues.
Former employees told The Sydney Morning Herald they had reported cases of sexual abuse and harassment but felt unsupported by the company.
Anton Forte, the founder and former CEO of Swillhouse, was not personally accused of misconduct but posted a video message on Instagram responding to the claims.
“We wanted to create a culture of openness, generosity and respect but along the way we messed up,” Forte said at the time.
“It’s heartbreaking to know that people were unsupported, unheard and let down. I’m deeply sorry for that.”
“We don’t take [the allegations] lightly and we respect people’s experiences and their need to share their stories publicly,” he added.
“We’ve heard you, we are listening and we are accountable.”
Forte later resigned as CEO following the controversy, and was replaced by Lisa Hobbs.
Images: Instagram
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit their website. In an emergency, call 000.
