Rebecca Gibney escaped assault from her grandfather who had a history of sexual abuse

AWARD-WINNING Australian actress Rebecca Gibney has made explosive claims about one of her relatives, who tried to sexually assault her as a child.

EXCLUSIVE

Australian TV darling Rebecca Gibney has made explosive claims her grandfather tried to sexually assault her as a child.

Gibney was able to fight her maternal grandfather off but refused to see him after the terrifying event.

She was also aware her grandfather, who is now deceased, had sexually abused her mother from the age of two to 15.

“He tried to touch me once but I was a very strong 12-year-old and I told him to get his hands off me,” said Gibney, 52, in an upcoming episode of Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery.

Julia Zemiro and Rebecca Gibney on Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery Picture: Mark Tantrum

However, she does not believe her mother willingly put her or her six siblings in danger.

“She never thought for a moment that he would try it on any of us,” said Gibney.

The Gold Logie winner has spoken previously about growing up in a domestic violence household in which her mother was regularly beaten by her alcoholic father.

She also publicly campaigns on the issue as a patron of women’s charity, Share the Dignity.

Gibney grew up in Wellington, New Zealand, before she migrated to Australia at 19, landing her breakout role in The Flying Doctors.

Despite a trailblazing career, the actor suffered from constant panic attacks until she had a “complete and utter breakdown” in her early 30s.

Rebecca Gibney’s brother Patrick with Rebecca and Julia Zemiro. Picture: Mark Tantrum

“I had an amazing job, incredible friends, I was making money but inside I was this black hole and so I had this collapse and luckily I met this incredible woman for two years who helped me through,” said Gibney, presumably referring to a mental health practitioner.

“Weirdly enough it wasn’t my dad, I had to forgive him, but it was my grandfather that I had to (forgive) because I blamed him for what had happened to mum,” she said.

“Dad knew nothing about my grandfather, that was the other thing, my mum never told him because she said he would have killed him.

Rebecca Gibney in a scene from Wanted. Picture: Seven Network

“So my dad never knew that my grandfather was doing those things, which is another reason why we still had to go and be happy families with my grandfather, because mum said he would have killed my grandfather if dad knew (what he’d done),” said Gibney.

Her father passed away several years ago, aged 51.

Like so many families with trauma, the Gibneys remained silent about the abuse they were suffering, which made them feel alone in their suffering.

“It’s weird. I recently worked with some colleagues who also had sexual abuse with their families, also with grandparents and fathers, ”said Gibney.

“ The more you talk about abuse or alcoholism or you scratch the surface on any of this stuff the more it comes out.

“And particularly with females, with women, a lot of women have had to deal with a lot of abuse in their lives,” she said.

Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery with Rebecca Gibney airs 8pm, May 2, on ABC.

Originally published as Rebecca Gibney escaped assault from her grandfather who had a history of sexual abuse