Alyssa Milano educates Donald Trump on sexual assault

Alyssa Milano's take down of Trump has inspires other to bravely share their stories. Photo / Getty Images

Actress Alyssa Milano has crucified US President Donald Trump on social media, after the president dangerously cast doubt on the sexual assault accusations against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanagh.

On Twitter, Mr Trump demanded to know why university academic, Dr Christine Ford — who has accused his Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault in the 1980s when they were teens — failed to come forward sooner, appearing to subtly suggest that Dr Ford made the accusation up.

I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018

The Charmed actress wasn't having any of it.

Promptly, and bravely, responding to the president's unwarranted and unsubstantiated comment, Milano decided to set the president straight in a searing and honest tweet, in which she revealed she has also been a victim of sexual assault.

"Hey, @realDonaldTrump, Listen the f**k up," she began.

"I was sexually assaulted twice. Once when I was a teenager. I never filed a police report and it took me 30 years to tell me [sic] parents.

"If any survivor of sexual assault would like to add to this please do so in the replies. #MeToo."

Thousands of women have taken inspiration from Milano and come forward with their stories, prompting a new #MeToo era hashtag — #WhyIDidntReport.

The new hashtag quickly became a trending conversation starter on Twitter in the United States, as people, mostly women, vented outrage over past sexual transgressions and to stand in solidarity with Dr Ford.

Tens of thousands of tweets have since been posted to the social media platform as users explained why they had not reported occasions on which they too had been sexually assaulted in the past.

And Milano wasn't the only star to come forward. Double Jeopardy actress Ashley Judd, who is also one of dozens of women who accused Harvey Weinstein of harassment, tweeted: "The first time it happened, I was 7. I told the first adults I came upon. They said 'Oh, he's a nice old man, that's not what he meant.'

"So when I was raped at 15, I only told my diary. When an adult read it, she accused me of having sex with an adult man."

He was my uncle-My mother’s brother.
I was 7-years old.
I didn’t want to break my mother’s heart.
I didn’t want my father to commit murder.

2nd time
He was my professor.
I reported it to a female teacher.
Said no one would believe me.
That it would ruin my life
#WhyIDidntReport

— Virginia, with the Resistance’s Latinos for Biden (@bTheResistance) September 22, 2018

I waited over 20 years to report my sexual abuser.
Because I was 14.
Because it was my hero.
Because it was my priest.
Because I thought I'd be expelled.
Because I feared no one would believe me.
Because I thought suicide was easier than telling 1 person#WhyIDidntReport

— Thomas Roberts (@ThomasARoberts) September 21, 2018

#WhyIDidntReport because the first time I did for a serious sexual assault as a teenager nothing came of it, and later I felt that I wasn’t important enough to make a big deal over. I was wrong.

— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) September 22, 2018

On Friday (local time), Mr Trump also abandoned any restraint over Dr Ford as he demanded that the Republican-controlled Senate get on with confirming Kavanaugh — and so tilt the highest US judicial body further to the right before November's crucial midterm elections.