Alexia Umansky said on Special Forces that she was sexually assaulted seven years ago and told Mauricio Umansky about it on screen for the first time. On the Thursday, October 8 episode, she described the assault during an interrogation segment and said she had kept it private from her family.
She told Directing Staff, “Seven years ago, I was on a trip with some friends, and I was with people I trust. I was put to bed because I had a little too much to drink. And I woke up and I could tell something had happened.” She added in a confessional, “I was taken advantage of. My family — to this day — does not know.”
Special Forces and Mauricio Umansky
The conversation then moved to Mauricio Umansky in front of the other recruits. Alexia said, “You don’t know [this]. I was taken advantage of by a friend.” She also said, “You guys not knowing is not anything I ever wanted you to know, but I kind of wanted to protect you guys from.”
Mauricio told her she should not have felt the need to protect them while she was going through a trauma. Alexia said, “Once you bring it to other people, it’s hard to … it’s not just yours,” and added, “I feel like it’s not just your own concern, you know?” She said, “It just becomes everyone else’s concern.”
On Thursday, October 8
Alexia said she had chosen to put the experience away after the one-year mark, explaining that she decided happiness is a choice. She said, “But it still hurts.”
The disclosure came as part of her effort to prove she had courage after what happened to her. She said, “But I have definitely healed,” and, “I’ve come a long way since then.” Mauricio told her he loved her.
Fox Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 5 airs on Fox Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET. The episode placed a private family account on public television for the first time, and Alexia’s account left one part of the story unresolved: what happened to the friend she said was with her when she was taken advantage of was not explained.
