One in 3 women have reported experiencing “either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime,” according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Crimes committed by and against spouses and partners are the gravest, since 27% of women ages 15-49 report having been hurt or sexually abused by an intimate partner.
Online, the recent rise of women sharing their stories publicly has helped shift the conversation around intimate partner violence and warn other possible victims.
TikTok user Brittney (@itsbrittney) joined this movement by coming forward with her own story.
What happened?
Brittney posted a 5-part video series recently, detailing her harrowing experience with her most recent ex-boyfriend.
In the clip, which has garnered over 1.2 million views at the time of writing, she shared her story, saying, “OK. So I normally wouldn’t come on here and bash any of my exes. If we go through a breakup, I’m not gonna badmouth them or anything.”
However, she continued, “This is a story that needs to be told and needs to be out in the open.”
Brittney explained that after meeting a man on TikTok in May 2024, things progressed quickly between them.
“We were FaceTiming. I was flying out to see him in Texas,” she said. “We really caught a good vibe, and we were rocking and rolling.”
After three months, he asked her to move in with him to Texas from South Carolina, where she was living at the time, and she agreed.
“I decide I’m gonna pack up everything and move out there,” Brittney shared.
Before moving, she says she checked his background using an app available to her as a realtor.
“His slate is clean. Everything on there is perfect,” she explained. “There’s no charges. He seems to be a great guy on paper.”
Confident in her decision, she moved to Texas on June 24.
Trouble begins
However, just five days later, on her birthday, she received a text from her mother with a screenshot of his mugshot, showing a charge for harassment.
“When I asked him about it, he basically chalked it up to a misunderstanding,” she explained.
Things seemed fine for the first month, but red flags began to emerge.
“He was starting to get a little bit controlling, saying things like I couldn’t wear certain bikinis. I couldn’t drink when I wanted to. I couldn’t watch The Bachelor or any TV show that I love to watch,” she recounted.
On Aug. 1, Brittney says they went on a river trip with his friends and family, but an argument erupted after he overheard her phone conversation with a friend.
“He tells me, ‘If I did [tell you to get off the phone], you’re gonna get the [expletive] off the phone,’” she recalled.
The argument escalated, and he physically removed her from the cabin.
“He picks me up and starts charging at the door with me… I literally have a hand on his throat, like pushing him away from me,” she explained. She attempted to call for help, but he grabbed her phone and shut it off.
After realizing the severity of the situation, she said that he “realized, ‘Oh my God, I messed up.’” He then apologized, saying, “I’m so sorry, I can’t live with myself that I just put my hands on you.”
After a long discussion, Brittney says they decided to put the incident behind them, and “try to have a good rest of the weekend.”
The next day, Brittney says things got worse.
Things escalate
After drinking throughout the day, they both returned home tipsy. While she was getting ready and showering, her ex suddenly entered the bathroom holding her phone.
She explained that before moving to Texas, she had deleted Snapchat from her device, but he had re-downloaded the app without her knowledge.
As he stood there, he showed her an old message she had sent to someone over a year ago.
“He walks in the shower and he’s showing me a text message that I had sent to somebody on Snapchat probably a year ago,” she recalled.
The situation escalated when he angrily confronted her, shouting, “What the [expletive] is this? You’re a [expletive].” What followed was another violent act against her.
Once she was finally able to get out of the cabin, she asked for help from the group they had traveled with. To her shock, Brittney realized this behavior wasn’t anything new, and his friends and family were aware of the patterns.
In the following updates, Brittney shares more details of the life-threatening situation she was in. Thankfully, she was able to escape by driving back to South Carolina, but her ex is still in possession of the majority of her belongings.
According to her most recent videos, Brittney is in the process of rebuilding her life and has thankfully managed to secure a new job.
Commenters share their support
In the comments, while there are a few negative comments, most praise Brittney for sharing her story and are thankful she made it out of a dangerous situation.
“He dated my best friend for years,” wrote a woman who knows Brittney’s assailant personally. “I’m so proud of you for using your voice.”
“Don’t ever go back. It will just get worse,” wrote a user. “Glad you ok!”
“My jaw is on the floor,” said another. “I’m so glad you’re alive and home.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Brittney (@itsbrittney) via TikTok and Instagram messaging.
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