Personal Statement Regarding Marion Zimmer Bradley and Sexual Abuse of Children

In light of the Epstein Files revelations, the charges against Rep. Swalwell, and my past association with Marion Zimmer Bradley:

I am a survivor of childhood sexual assault and adult rape. I stand unequivocally with my fellow survivors. I believe their stories, because mine is one of them. Overcoming the pain, self-blame, and paralyzing shame often requires time for those stories to come to light, but they are no less true. In my case, as for many others, survival meant shutting off my gut reactions to dangerous people and situations. What happened to me as a child was only the first incident, but it left a lingering conviction that I was never allowed to say NO. When I look back at my association with Marion Zimmer Bradley, which also involved contact with her ex-husband, the convicted pedophile Walter Breen, I knew on some level that the household was profoundly unhealthy. I wish I had been able to listen to my instincts and sever all contact when I realized what he was and that, although divorced, they remained close. I am horrified that Breen had any contact at all with my children. I assisted the police in their investigation of him that led to his incarceration, but that does not alter my responsibility.

I was overwhelmed by the revelations about Bradley herself.  It was not until later, when I grappled with my own history of assault and denial, that I was able to face the truth. I deeply regret that I did not come forward sooner or add my voice to those of other writers in condemning the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. I am doing so now.

The violation of children (and adults) – both by the perpetrators and those who enable them – is a betrayal of the most fundamental human trust, that of children for the adults who ought to care for them. Those like Bradley who know of such crimes and do not take action, or who participate by procuring children for pedophiles, are just as guilty because they could have stopped the abuse, they could have protected the innocent and spared them decades of nightmares, and they failed to do so.

If anything I have said or done in any way excuses Bradley or any other pedophile or pedophile enabler, I truly regret it, and I ask for your understanding.

 

Regarding my posthumous Darkover novel collaborations:

Under the auspices of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Literary Trust, I wrote nine Darkover novels. The writing is mine, but because she created Darkover, her name also appears on the cover. After the allegations came out, I fulfilled my existing publishing contracts. There will be no more Darkover novels written by me. The decision to reject works by an author who has done reprehensible things is a personal one. However, it was and remains my hope to make the Darkover series available to readers who loved it, written by someone other than Bradley.