Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Wager says she was sexually assaulted by fellow figure skater John Coughlin in 2008, when she was 17
Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images In an essay published this morning in USA Today, Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Wager alleged that she was sexually assaulted by fellow figure skater John Coughlin in 2008, when she was 17.
Wagner alleges that, while she was sleeping, Coughlin, who was 22 at the time, came into her bed and started kissing and groping her. “I pretended to be deep asleep, hoping he would stop,” Wagner wrote. “He didn’t. When his hands started to wander, when he started touching me, groping my body, I tried to shift around so he would think I was waking up and would stop. He didn’t.”
At the time, Wagner says that she told two people close to her about what had happened, but otherwise kept quiet, fearing that if she came forward, she would be seen as dramatic and difficult. “I was a young skater coming up through the ranks in a judged sport,” she wrote. “I didn’t want to stir the pot. I didn’t want to add anything to my career that would make me seem undesirable or dramatic. I didn’t want to be known in figure skating as the athlete who would cause trouble.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ashley Wagner: US figure skater says she was sexually assaulted at 17
Read more »
Ashley Wagner says she was sexually assaulted by John CoughlinIn a video and written piece that she wrote in USA Today, Wagner, an Olympic bronze medalist and US national champion in figure skating, said she was sexually assaulted by former figure skater John Coughlin when she was 17 years old and when he was 22.
Read more »
Olympic skater Ashley Wagner says she was sexually assaulted at 17 by another skaterOlympic skater Ashley Wagner says she was sexually assaulted by pairs skater John Coughlin following a party at a national team figure skating camp in 2008.
Read more »
https://people.comGet the latest news about celebrities, royals, music, TV, and real people. Find exclusive content, including photos and videos, on PEOPLE.com.
Read more »
Olympic Skater Ashley Wagner Says John Coughlin Sexually Assaulted HerAshley Wagner accused her fellow skater, John Coughlin who died by suicide in January, of assaulting her when she was 17.
Read more »
Ashley Wagner Says John Coughlin Sexually Assaulted Her'I want the issue to feel real to people, and for them to understand the dynamics of my sport, where uncomfortable power imbalances thrive to this day.'
Read more »