Nigel Barker’s relief over sexual assault revelation

Nigel Barker felt like a huge weight had been lifted when he opened up about being sexually assaulted as a child.
Talking about his own experience was a tough thing for Nigel to do. But he has now found that sharing it has given him a huge sense of relief.
“I didn’t even know I would (tell them), to be honest. It just sort of happened,” he told the New York Post’s gossip column Page Six. “I felt like a huge weight was taken off my shoulders.
“It was tough. I’ve never told that story before. You don’t want to talk about it. It’s very, very tough. People don’t want to hear about it. One of the reasons (I spoke up) I thought the time was right and I wanted to let people know you are not alone. Hopefully some child out there will speak and tell officials and you won’t have to wait 30 years like I did.”
The 43-year-old noted fashion photographer, and former judge on America’s Next Top Model, revealed on his SiriusXM show Gentleman’s Code that he was assaulted when he was just eight years old.
While his wife Cristen knew of the incident, his friends didn’t, and Barker is hoping that speaking out about it will encourage others to reveal their own experiences.
“One of the reasons (I spoke up) I thought the time was right and I wanted to let people know you are not alone,” he said. “Hopefully some child out there will speak and tell officials and you won’t have to wait 30 years like I did.”
Nigel has also found he has been a tougher father on his 10-year-old son because of his abuse incident. Barker has children Jasmine and Jack, and has found his own trauma has had a dramatic effect on his parenting style.
“Sadly, because of my experience, I wouldn’t allow my 10-year-old to walk home by himself,” explained. “I was eight, and I did it. It was the ’70s. It was a different time. You have to be aware and be very comfortable.”