Over the last few days, images and video have emerged of Lindsay Lohan being assaulted by fiancé Egor Tarabasov on a beach trip in Mykonos, Greece.
The footage shows Tarabasov chasing the actress and forcefully twisting Lohan’s arm behind her back. The pain caused can be seen across her face, and as part of the assault Lohan’s swimsuit is pulled down to expose her chest.
She was attacked in daylight, with hoards of people around her on a crowded beach.
Since the disturbing images surfaced of the violence the actress has endured, Lohan has spoken out. In an interview with Daily Mail the star claims that the Russian heir has abused her multiple times.
“It’s not the first time,” she said. “That’s the problem. But this time, someone saw.”
The video follows the police recently being called to break down Lohan’s door, after she screamed to neighbours that Tarabasov was trying to strangle her.
“I wanted to do this interview because it’s time to tell the truth,” she told Daily Mail.
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“I realize now you can’t stay in a relationship just for love.”
Referring to the incident in Mykonos, Lohan said: “Egor drank too much and he went crazy,” but she didn’t go into any further detail.
Lohan has since called off her engagement. This comes after weeks of speculation about their relationship, after Lohan accused Tarabasov of cheating on her in a lengthy rant on Instagram.
Since these disturbing images have been released, the lack of coverage and sympathy for Lohan has been staggering. Like similiar cases of domestic violence, the incident has been swept under the rug as a private issue between the couple.
Where are the think-pieces about Lohan being a victim of domestic violence? I can’t help but think our empathy doesn’t seem to translate to people we don’t think are deserving.
If this level of public battery has happened to someone like Hollywood sweetheart Jennifer Lawrence, just imagine the public outcry. Lohan has a known history of tepid relationships, brushes with the law, along with a fading career, so are we putting the Mean Girls actress in a separate category, as already damaged goods?
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By comparison, let’s look at the coverage of Nigella Lawson when she was photographed being straggled by her then-husband Charles Saatchi in 2013. Not only did the story feature in every major daily for days if not weeks, it acted as a catalyst for discussion over family violence and the reasons women stay with their partners despite the abuse endured.
What we find is a stark contrast with the way the media depicts Lawson – as near-perfect wife material – with Lohan, who has long been the subject of media taunts and is rarely taken seriously.
Like Lawson, Lohan struggled to leave Tarabasov despite his violent actions.
“I genuinely fell in love with him but he broke my trust and made me feel unsafe,” she said. “No woman can be hit and stay with that person if that person isn’t prepared to say sorry.”
Domestic violence comes in many forms, as do the victims. To see it in such plain sight and for the news to hardly even make a ripple, does nothing more than to normalise violence against women.