Shailene Woodley says 'Big Little Lies' has opened conversations about domestic violence ahead of season 2 premiere
'Big Little Lies' is all set to premiere its second season on HBO June 9 and the popular show has only raised expectations among the audience after a spectacular first season. The first season introduced us to five flawed women who did what they did for their families and their images in the beautiful neighborhood of Monterey, California, that they wanted to keep safe. The lies that they held within themselves was not what defined them, but it surely influenced how they lived and loved.
Among the things the series showcased, domestic violence and sexual assault took the front seat. The series stars Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley as The Monterey Five - Celeste Wright, Madeline Mackenzie, Renata Klein, Bonnie Carlson, and Jane Chapman.
Ahead of the 'Big Little Lies' season 2 premiere held at the Jazz at Lincoln Center May 29, actor Woodley spoke about how the show has influenced victims of domestic abuse to open up about their experiences. She said, "The book was written and the show was filmed, season 1, before Me Too entered the mainstream consciousness. It preceded the conversation, that is now a welcomed conversation in a lot of circles. What makes me so honored to be a part of it is, I have had close family members whose story I didn't know before."
She added: "To experience domestic violence and to experience sexual trauma is not something that is easily shared. It is not something that a lot of people have the confidence to talk about because of all of the emotions that come with experiences like that. And to hear people on the streets, and to hear my own family members say to me, 'because of Big Little Lies I feel now confident to share with you - this bruise that I have on my hip. I now feel confident to tell you that I was raped when I was 16 years old.' These are stories that I hadn't heard before. To me, nothing is more special than to allow someone that space and the opportunity to be seen and to feel like they are not alone. That's been the greatest gift about being a part of this."
In the show, we saw Celeste's husband Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard) abuse her and towards the end of the show, we also learned he sexually assaulted Jane while going by the alias Saxon Banks. He even tried to force Celeste into not leaving him after she learnt of his affair, which led to a tussle between the two, forcing Bonnie to push him down a staircase.
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