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Akron Beacon Journal sportswriter Marla Ridenour shares story of sexual assault

In a column published this past week, Ridenour revealed she was gang raped in college. The Browns' recent trade for Deshaun Watson triggered her memories.

SAGAMORE HILLS, Ohio — *WARNING: This story graphically describes a sexual assault and might be triggering for some. Viewer and reader discretion is advised.

Marla Ridenour was meant to be journalist even at a young age.

She worked on her high school school yearbook before continuing her studies at Eastern Kentucky University. For decades, she has been a well known sports columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal.

But since her sophomore year in college, she's had a dark secret, one she shared with her readers this past week. On Sunday, she she sat down with us for her first television interview about her experience, going back to a night in 1975 when she went out with her girlfriends in Kentucky.

"We always propped the fire escape door open on the side of the building," she remembered, "and so I'm walking through the parking lot to sneak in the fire escape when I got abducted."

Taken at knifepoint, Ridenour was blindfolded and driven miles away from her campus. In the back seat of the car, she could her ZZ Top on the radio. 

"It was like an all night thing," she said. "I guess I'm in denial, but ... I don't know. Yes, I was. Gang raped.

"At the very end, I was telling them, 'Don't do this. Let me go.'"  

Nearly five decades later, Ridenour says it was hard to recall everything."

"It's almost like you just disconnect and just get through it and hope you live," she explained. "They left me [at] ... I think it was some autobody shop, like some ditch in front of there [in the] wee hours of the morning."

A mechanic called police and she was taken to the ER, where doctors administered a rape kit. She shared the story with her parents after they received a medical bill, but they never talked about it.

"It seems like there's nobody that has said 'I'm sorry this happened to you,'" I inquired.

"Well, they are now," Marla said as tears came into her eyes. she said. "That might've been helpful [back then]."

As rumors began to swirl about the Browns possibly trading for Deshaun Watson, Ridenour's memories were triggered, as at least 22 women have accused the quarterback of sexual misconduct. She remembers asking herself, "This team that I've covered for all this time is really going to do this?"

Even before Cleveland acquired Watson from the Houston Texans, Ridenour referred to the team as "the epitome of hypocrisy" in a prior column as the front office pursued the deal. However, she says she has no opinion on Watson himself; it's just that her feelings have taken over.

"There comes a point in your life where you don't want to hide this anymore," she remarked on her decision to share her story.

After her account of that night was published, Ridenour received hundreds of emails. Her voice has finally been heard.

"I also want to show people that you can survive and get past it and live the life that you dreamed of," she said. "I feel like I'm a pretty a very good example of a survivor, at least to this point."

Watson has repeatedly denied all of the accusations against him, most recently at his introductory press conference this past Friday. Two Texas grand juries have chosen not do indict him on any criminal charges, and although civil litigation remains pending, the Browns say they are "comfortable" having him be a part of the organization.

The men who raped Marla have never been caught.

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