Lindsay Ell Reveals She Was Raped at 13 and 21 — Now, She’s Sharing Her Story To Help Others
When she announced her new album, Heart Theory, Lindsay Ell promised this would be her most personal and revealing album…
Lindsay Ell; Photo by Jeremy Cowart
When she announced her new album, Heart Theory, Lindsay Ell promised this would be her most personal and revealing album to date. She wasn’t exaggerating.
Ahead of the project’s August 14 release, Ell dropped a new track, “Make You,” which addresses being a survivor of sexual assault.
“It’s gonna make you hate yourself / When you didn’t hate yourself at all / It’s gonna make you build a fortress / Where you never had a wall/ It’s gonna make you question God/ And wonder if he even cares/ ‘Cause it’s so messed up, it’s so wrong/ It’s just so unfair,” Ell sings on the emotional chorus.
The singer/songwriter/musician opened up about her encounters with sexual violence in the latest issue of People.
“I was raped when I was 13, and it happened again when I was 21,” she revealed to the publication. “The song only talks about the first time. It’s just a difficult thing to talk about, and it’s something that I process every day still.”
Ell co-wrote “Make You” alongside fellow singer/songwriter Brandy Clark. The release date is meaningful to Ell for a number of reasons.
“I wanted to release it on Global Forgiveness Day. Forgiving people in our past is a huge thing for whatever reason, but forgiving yourself is so important,” she explains. “There’s an incredible amount of healing that can happen, and it can’t happen until you can truly open up that forgiveness for your own heart.”
Though it may have been difficult to share her story, Ell acknowledges that it’s helped her to heal.
“Part of me talking about it now is liberating the little 13-year-old Lindsay and the 21-year-old Lindsay,” she says. “Pain is something we can let control us if we don’t deal with it, but the minute you put a voice to your story the shame has no power.”
Ell went on to detail the assault, revealing that it was a man in her church who groomed her and raped her.
“I felt like I had really messed up, that everybody was going to judge me and that the rest of my life was ruined,” she admits.
Years later, when she was 20, Ell told her parents about the rape.
“They had no idea it happened, and they were absolutely horrified,” she explains. “I’m so grateful towards both of them because they helped me not go into any unhealthy mechanisms to cope.”
As for the second rape, Ell didn’t go into detail, only sharing that it was “different” and “a lot more violent.”
These two events left a lasting mark on Ell, who suffered from depression and anxiety for years to come.
“I was pretty messed up emotionally,” she shares. “I had a weird relationship with anything about the body because I just hadn’t felt safe.”
Now, the songstress is sharing her story with hopes to help others.
In conjunction with the release of “Make You,” Ell launched the Make You Movement, a charitable fund whose mission is “to help organizations that support at-risk youth, domestic abuse and sexual assault survivors by provided funds on an as-needed basis.”
All proceeds from “Make You” will be donated to the Make You Movement. According to a press release, the first partner organization receiving funds from Make You Movement will be The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), which is the United States’ largest anti-sexual violence organization.
“I believe music has the power to heal. The reason I decided to share my story at this point in my life is that I want it to be able to help a lot of people; and the best way to help people is to not only raise my voice, but to raise money in an effort to raise awareness and understanding,” Ell says. “I want to support programs that help girls & boys who may have been victims and support safety and prevention programs that aim to keep potential victims safe. Finally writing ‘Make You’ has given me the courage to not let my past decide my future, so I am taking action in order to do just that. My hope is that my actions and song will inspire the same in others.”
For additional details about the Make You Movement, click HERE.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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