TW: This article contains discussion of sexual assault.
In a recent episode of The Valley, star Janet Caperna revealed a sensitive secret. She told Lala Kent that, in the past, she was a survivor of a sexual assault. Janet had been navigating the fallout from the incident in therapy and explained why co-star Danny Booko’s behavior triggers her.
Janet Caperna opened up in a vulnerable moment about her past
During Season 2 of The Valley, Janet was called a villain after she called out Danny’s bad behavior. She accused Danny of sexual assault after he drunkenly touched Jasmine Goode inappropriately. Naturally, her choice of words shocked her friend group and led to a divide in the cast.
Later, Janet admitted that she should have chosen a different phrase to describe Danny’s actions. However, in a recent episode, Janet stated that Danny’s actions were a trigger for her.
In The Valley Season 3 Episode 15, Janet confided in Lala. “When I was in school, I had a situation happen with another boy … put his hands on me,” an emotional Janet explained. “And I just pretended like it was some sort of, like, consensual hookup. In reality, it was not.”
She continued, “Afterwards … all the blame was on me. I was a whore. People thought he was cool.” Janet added, “He didn’t have to go through any of the pain and trauma.”
“I just talked to Jason [Caperna] about this for the first time, the year we got married,” Janet shared. In her confessional, she admitted, “I didn’t even really realize what this was until a year ago. There was a therapist who said to me, ‘This is sexual assault.’”
Then, Janet revealed her feelings following the traumatic incident. “And I didn’t fight him off or push him away. I just froze and let this thing happen to me,” she said. “It was a lot to process.”
The Valley airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Bravo. Episodes will stream on Peacock.
If you’ve been impacted by sexual assault, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.
TELL US – DO YOU ADMIRE JANET’S BRAVERY FOR SHARING HER STORY? DOES THIS EXPLAIN HER REACTION TO DANNY’S BEHAVIOR?
