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Who is AOC's boyfriend Riley Roberts? NY Rep reveals she is 'a sexual assault survivor' on Instagram Live

It is unclear whether her boyfriend Riley Roberts is aware of what happened in her past

Trigger warning: Sexual assault 

On Monday night, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took to Instagram to reveal that she is a sexual assault survivor. Taking to an Instagram Live broadcast, she said, "I'm a survivor of sexual assault and I haven't told many people that in my life. When we go through trauma, trauma compounds on each other." She began crying during her retelling of the events of January 6, 2021, but continued to say, "All of your traumas can, kind of, intersect and interact". 

It is unclear whether her boyfriend Riley Roberts is aware of what happened in her past. The two met during her graduate years at Boston University. The 30-year-old is a Scottsdale, Arizona native, who, according to a Vogue profile, AOC once described as an "easygoing redhead". The two have been together for a little over four years. 

Like any other relationship, they have seen ups and down in theirs. Shortly after graduating, as Roberts moved back to Arizona, the couple broke up, but eventually revived their relationship and moved in together.

The couple has even involved the family in their relationship. AOC is reportedly close with Robert's mother, Connie, a real estate agent from Arizona. AOC even frequently sports a pearl necklace gifted to her by Connie. "We wanted her to know she was special. It was given to her with love," Connie told AZ Central.

According to LinkedIn, Roberts is head of marketing at HomeBinder.com, which helps people manage the maintenance of their homes. He also reportedly works as a consultant to help tech startups grow revenue using marketing and development.

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Speaking of sexual assault, AOC called out Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) by name for telling her to apologize. Comparing the Republicans' insistence on telling her and other survivors of the January 6 attack to "get over it" to the tactics used by abusers. "The folks who are saying we should move on, we shouldn’t have accountability, etc., are saying: ‘Can you just forget about this so that we can do it again?’...I'm not going to let it happen to me again ... and I'm not going to let it happen to our country."

"These are the tactics of abusers," she charged. "Or rather, these are the tactics that abusers use."

"And so, when I see this happen, how I feel and how I felt was 'not again.' I'm not going to let this happen again," she declared. "I'm not going to let it happen to me again, I'm not going to let it happen to the other people who have been victimized by this situation again, and I'm not going to let this happen to our country," she said.

Speaking of trauma, she added, "But when we go through trauma, trauma compounds on each other," she said. "Whether you had a negligent parent, or whether you had someone who was verbally abusive to you, whether you are a survivor of abuse, whether you experience any sort of trauma in your life, small to large. These episodes can compound on each other."

AOC's heart touching and brave story concluded with, "I have been giving myself time and space to try and heal...I think these are important stories to tell. My story isn't the only story. It's far from the central story. But together we have 435 stories. And we need to tell them because every time a Republican gets on television and says, 'We need to move on and forget about it,' they need to be reminded about what they're trying to absolve and excuse...If you've experienced trauma in your life, I want you to know that you don't have to have experienced the worst thing or the biggest thing...I hope you get the courage to get everything you need to do to heal."

Twitter has reached out in support of AOC with many recounting their experiences and sharing words of solidarity. "No kidding!! How many women relate to that??? I would venture to say that probably half the women population in this world, conservatively speaking, have been victims of sexual molestation or assault in the course of their lives!! This needs to stop for our daughters," one user tweeted. "* 1 in 3 women * in the U.S. have experienced sexual violence (1 in 5 men). Rape culture is a reality. How dare anyone scoff at @AOC or anyone for being a survivor," another added. "Most strong women are survivors of this type of assault. Sexual assault is about denigration for domination. It’s the only way weak men THINK they can win against a woman. You’re a formidable woman who will always be a target. I adore you even more after this revelation," another user commented. 

Taking to Twitter to share her traumatic experience from January 6, AOC posted: "My story isn’t the only story, nor is it the central story of what happened on Jan 6th. It is just one story of many of those whose lives were endangered at the Capitol by the lies, threats, and violence fanned by the cowardice of people who chose personal gain above democracy." She went on to explain what unfolded during the Capitol Hill riots in a series of tweets.