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Melissa Leong has revealed she was sexually assaulted while working in the hospitality industry.
The former MasterChef judge, 43, has opened up about the harrowing ordeal for the first time in an interview ahead of the release of her memoir, Guts.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Melissa revealed she was raped 15 years ago but never previously discussed the assault because she had felt “ashamed”.
“I was so ashamed that I just pretended it didn’t happen, so I didn’t keep proof […] I just wanted it to all go away,” she told the publication. “For the longest time, I did not identify myself as a survivor of sexual assault.”
Melissa said the turning point came when she was invited to an International Women’s Day event, where she listened to a speech from sexual abuse survivor Anna Coutts-Trotter.
“I identified with [her story] far too much,” Melissa said, explaining how it encouraged her to speak out about her own experience.
The TV presenter said she took the blame onto herself for a very long time, but then decided “enough is enough”.
She said she is not alone in her experience, as she addressed how many other female workers have spoken out about their experiences of sexual harassment in Australia’s hospitality industry.
Melissa also told how she has learnt the price of standing up for herself in life, saying she has previously been portrayed as “difficult” to work with or a “b****”, which she adamantly denies.
“I would never do anything […] that would make it harder for other people [of colour] to come in after me, and if you don’t understand that, then, what can I say? … I’m not sad, I’m angry,” she explained.
Elsewhere in the interview, Melissa revealed whether she will speak about her MasterChef exit in her book, Guts, which is slated for release on September 30.
Melissa was a judge on MasterChef for three years, but left in 2023, shortly after the tragic death of her co-star, Jock Zonfrillo.
She moved on to host the spin-off show, Dessert Masters, instead, and has now admitted it was difficult to write about her time on MasterChef.
Melissa said she initially didn’t want to write about the Channel 10 show because it was all “too fresh”, but has now done so on her own terms.
In Guts, Melissa will discuss the “dark” parts of her life, including her struggles with racism and mental health.
She hopes opening up about her own experience will encourage others to pursue the lives they want for themselves.
