30 January 2023 , 19:12
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Emily Atack has revealed she is bombarded with vile pictures and abuse from strangers every day.
The messages from men range from those who fantasise about her to those who are threatening to rape and kill her.
Admitting that she feels “really damaged” by the unwanted sexual attention, Emily, said: “Every morning when I wake up I see a man’s penis I haven’t asked to see.”
The Inbetweeners star, 33, explores her exposure to cyber flashing and sexual harassment for a BBC documentary.
She opens up to mum, actress Kate Robbins, and dad Keith about the online abuse she’s received for years. But Kate ends up in tears, walking away saying the pictures and messages are “too vile” for her to look at.
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Emily's mum broke down in tears after witnessing the vile messages her daughter recieves (PA)When Emily, 33, shows her some of the “d**k pics” and messages she receives every day, Kate cries: “I find it very upsetting. It’s disgusting.
“I worry for her safety. I‘ve never known anything like what Emily showed me.”
During her investigation into what can be done to help women actress and comic Emily confronts an uncomfortable possibility – that she has brought this on herself.
Many people, including family and friends, have suggested that these sexual interactions have been caused by her posts of herself in a bikini or showing cleavage on social media.
Emily is bombarded with vile messages on a daily basis (emilyatack/Instagram)
The actress and TV star says the constant abuse has left her damaged (Instagram)But, she wonders why the blame is being put on victims and defends her right to be “sexy and funny”.
Emily is calling for a change in the law so that cyber flashing is an offence in the same way that flashing is.
At the end she is defiant, stating that it is the men who bombard her with messages who have the problem.
“I’m not asking for it,” she says. “It is your fault.
Emily's new documentary explores the detrimental effects of online sexual harassment (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
Emily is calling for a change in the law so that cyber flashing is an offence (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)“I’m not going to change what I’m doing because I get sexually harassed. It’s not ‘our’ behaviour that has to change.”
In the end, Kate insists: “It’s not your fault, you must never, ever blame yourself.”
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Emily tells her: “That’s something I’ve needed to hear for a very long time.”
The documentary Emily Atack: Asking for It? airs on BBC2 tonight 9pm.