Well today, Gigi wrote a piece about her experience in Lenny Letter (Lena Dunham's newsletter):
I remember taking the time, as it all felt slo-mo, to look at him, a stranger, and my first reaction was: “Get me out of this situation.” I played volleyball, and my coaches talked about muscle memory. I started boxing two years ago and I always remembered that. Since then, I hadn’t been in a situation that forced me to fight back, but it just came out when he grabbed me — it wasn’t a choice. I do have that fighter in me.
She added that she hopes this is a learning experience for other people and that girls have the right to fight back.
Honestly, I felt I was in danger, and I had every right to react the way I did. If anything, I want girls to see the video and know that they have the right to fight back, too, if put in a similar situation. Practicing self-defense is important so that when you’re in the moment, reacting from muscle memory comes more naturally to you than freezing up. Confidence in your own ability to defend yourself comes with educating yourself about it, and is a massive advantage when in an unsafe situation.
And she said that her mom was proud of her too: "When my mom first saw what had happened, she texted me the picture of me elbowing the guy and (among other messages of support) said, 'Good girl.'" YOU KNOW WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT, THIS PIC:
And then there's this one, which shows the extent of Gigi's skills because she landed her hit even while wearing sunglasses that definitely gave her huge blind spots.
Gigi ended her piece by saying, "I just want to use what happened to me to show that it’s everyone’s right, and it can be empowering, to be able to defend yourself."
So basically, I'd like to hang this photo over my bed so that it can inspire me when I dream.
