Taylor Stevens
date of testimony: January 16th 2018
location of testimony: Lansing, Michigan
Larry Nassar, you will forever and always will be just Larry Nassar. A name with a name whose name will forever haunt me as the man who took something from me but can never be forgotten.
You took something from me that can never be replaced, can never be changed, can never be forgiven, and that was my youth and innocence.
You took advantage of me when I was most vulnerable, when I was most afraid, and when I was most trusting. You manipulated me into believing that everything you did was okay, that I was supposed to trust you, and I was supposed to never question anything you did because you were a doctor. And because you were my doctor, you took advantage of me.
You stripped me of my dignity, my youth, and my trust, all for your personal satisfaction.
Because of your actions my life has forever changed. I have to live with the fact that I was a victim of sexual assault. I was a victim of sexual assault by someone I trusted and by someone who was supposed to help me achieve my passions in life, but instead you physically and emotionally abused me. I have to live with the consequences every single day for the rest of my life while you never once thought about how your actions would affect the innocent women you decided to take advantage of for your personal pleasure.
My childhood has forever been scarred while it should have been the happiest of times. I have lost all trust in medical professionals because of your actions. I have lost my dignity as a young woman, and I have lost trust in many relationships throughout my life because of something that happened when I was only 14 years old.
You have darkened one of my greatest passions in life, gymnastics, and it will forever be tied to your name. Your name that will forever be remembered as a gymnastics doctor that abused and sexually assaulted me as a young woman.
As my life goes on and your life ends in prison, I hope that you will realize that your actions have not only affected my life but also all of the other brave women who have came forward. You have stripped me of my innocence, my dignity, and my youth, but you will not take away my rights as a woman to stand up to predators like you. Thank you.
Taylor Stevens.
THE COURT: Thank you. I think so important in that message, Taylor, is that we all need to tell our children, and adults we need to as well, question everything. If something doesn’t feel right, doesn’t seem right, talk. Talk about abuse.
Ask questions. And hopefully the world will start listening.
