Comedian Beth Stelling, who has performed stand-up routines on Comedy Central and late night shows, told fans that even with an "amazing" 2015, she had some extreme low points with an ex-boyfriend of hers.
Stelling posted a photo on Instagram of her legs and arms with bruises all over them, and alleged that her unnamed ex "verbally, physically abused and raped" her.
The comedian wrote that at first, she kept the abuse under wraps because it didn't seem "appropriate" and didn't want to ruin her ex's reputation.
"There are many reasons not to make an abusive relationship public, mostly fear," she wrote in the caption that accompanied the photo collage. "Scared of what people will think, scared it makes me look weak or unprofessional. When I broke up with my ex this summer, it wasn't because I didn't love him, it was because of this."
Stelling said that even after the abuse, she dated him for two more months, and initially decided to honor his request to keep quiet.
"I wrote vague jokes because we both live in L.A. and I didn't want to hurt him, start a war, press charges, be interrogated or harassed by him or his friends and family," she said in the post. "I wanted to move on and forget because I didn't understand. I don't want revenge or to hurt him now, but it's unhealthy to keep this inside because my stand-up is pulled directly from my life."
Stelling added that she has already received words of support and solidarity -- specifically, from an ex-girlfriend of this ex-boyfriend, but also from strangers.
She wrote in a later post, "I am experiencing a massive amount of love and support for which I am grateful to you all."
