Rebecca Humphries has written an opinion piece in honour of World Kindness Day, expressing her thanks for the kindness she’s received since finding herself at the centre of a media storm last month.
Five weeks ago, Rebecca’s now-ex Seann Walsh made headlines when he was caught on camera kissing his ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ professional partner Katya Jones, after a night out.
With all eyes (and the nation’s media) suddenly turned towards Rebecca, she made the decision to take back control of the narrative, calling out the comedian for his “unacceptable” behaviour.
This behaviour, as she described in a statement she posted on Twitter, included him branding her a “psycho” when she questioned whether anything was going on with Katya, and leaving her on her birthday to spend the evening with his dancing partner.
Rebecca’s statement - which famously concluded that she’d “taken the cat” - was hailed as inspirational by many women who had been in similar situations, which she has now reflected on in an opinion piece for Vogue magazine.
Describing the last few weeks as “revelatory”, she wrote: “On October 8, I had an aim: to present a more fully formed and accurate version of a woman than the neater, simpler character of ‘spurned partner’ that was already being run with.
“The woman whose truth I was standing up for was myself. In doing so came revelation number one; that of a strength and resoluteness I had forgotten I possessed.
“That’s the self aggrandising out of the way. Secondly, were the more palpable revelations. Stories and accounts that have since been splashed across the front pages by complete strangers about the most personal, deeply heartfelt aspect of my life.
“But perhaps the biggest shock (no mean feat), has been of the thousands of people who recognised the Wonder Woman behind that statement was at the same time standing in the ruins of a shattered reality - and their rush to offer humour, perspective and life-force to help rebuild it. It has been the most dynamic electric storm of kindness you could ever hope to experience.”
Describing how she now views kindness in the wake of the public’s reaction to her statement, she continued: “It isn’t gentle. It’s in the influx of humans reaching out to share the red raw specifics of their own experience in order I didn’t feel so alone. It isn’t uninspiring.
“I think of the woman who passed on an email sent by her husband after hearing my letter on television, in which he acknowledged for the first time how he had treated her six years ago and vowed to seek help.
“Kindness is creative - in the form of people wanting to send me their work. Framed prints proudly stating ‘I Took the Cat’, a jumper proclaiming me a member of the ‘Strong Girls Club’.”
She concluded: “Thank you everyone for your kindness. It has gifted me the tools to sweep up the shattered bits and rebuild myself - but better.”
Although he is yet to address the specifics of Rebecca’s statement, Seann and Katya made a joint appearance on ‘Strictly’ spin-off ‘It Takes Two’ at the height of the scandal, in which he insisted he was not the man that was being portrayed in the media.
Seann and Katya were eventually eliminated from the competition two weeks after news of their kiss was first made public.
Read the full piece, ’Rebecca Humphries On How Kindness Has Been Revamped In 2018’ on Vogue’s website.