Rita Ora - 'It wasn't abuse because I wanted it'

[GloriaSmellens]

Daily Mail link warning

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3288177/I-abused-14-says-Rita-Ora.html#comments-3288177

So Rita Ora has said that when she was 14, she had a relationship with a 26 year old man. But that it wasn't abuse because she 'wanted it' and that if anything it gave her more confidence I think this was something she said a while.ago, but has been dug up and been put into a new biography?

If she is just going to minimise this, then what is the point of putting it out there in the public, surely it serves to do absolutely nothing than giving totally the wrong message to her target audience? What kind of 26 year old bloke wants to go out with a 14 year old.anyway? Between this and her admiration for Chris Brown she is going down in my estimations at a rapid rate!

She has the right to label her own experience the way she wants but she also has a responsibility to think about the influence she has on young people when she says it publicly. She could come across as condoning grooming. Girls going through that need to realise it's wrong, not think that it's ok because she says it wasn't abuse and claims it was a boost to her confidence.

It reminds me of the comments that Chrissie Hynde made saying that she blames herself for her rape because she went off with a motorcycle gang member and that and it can be the victim's responsibility. Obviously that's her way of coping with what happened rather than accepting it was out of her control, but when someone in a public position says that, it contributes to negative perceptions that hurt victims.

I had a similar experience and started a thread asking those who had under age sex with someone over 18 do you feel abused and was surprised that I seemed to be the only one and others mostly past it off as 'part of growing up'.

atsea I've seen lots of posts on here saying that. Many posters just saying its part of teenage experiences etc, so I don't know why RO is getting this kicking

Personally I think she probably knows it was wrong/anise. She seems that way in the interview, and her words have been twisted a bit in the papers. But maybe she doesn't want to have to deal with it in public. What is she supposed to do, go on Graham Norton next Friday and cry into the camera about it, then say 'buy my new single!' There are already hundreds of tweets and comments saying she's after publicity/she's an attention whore and other such vile things.

I think what she really meant if the interview had carried on is that it wasn't child abuse in the way she sees child abuse - nspcc adverts and black and white montages of crying kids whilst creepy old men leer around dark corners. But looking back, it was wrong - her words are 'I was more mature than I should have been at 14'

Eh, I don't know. I think she'll just ignore it until the media frenzy passes. But I've seen some horrible comments on my Facebook about her this morning. Maybe she should make a statement to clear things up, I don't know.

I think she's entitled to think about it however she wants to think about it TBH.

I'd say the focus should should be on the 26-year-old man to justify why he wanted a 'relationship' with a teenage girl who couldn't legally accompany him to any pubs or clubs and would have little in common with anyone his own.

While Rita Ora certainly has the last laugh with her worldwide fame and substantial personal fortune, I can't help but wonder if the constant need to be controversial and wear as little as possible in order to be 'sexy' is a reflection of what happened to here. To me she seems very typical of a woman who has learned to value herself by her sex appeal rather than for any intrinsic sense of self worth.

It is the fault of the sex offender that groomed her so successfully that she believes this.

She admitted in the interview that it was child abuse, so she doesn't believe it anymore.

www.fishwrapper.com/post/2015/10/26/rita-ora-quotes-interview-first-relationship-child-abuse-sad-video/#comments

Well at least the tone of the articles seems to be changing. There's a great one on Huffpost too

m.huffpost.com/us/entry/562e33b4e4b0ec0a3894f408?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000046