Emmy Rossum Joins RAINN as Ambassador for Sexual Violence Awareness

Emmy Rossum is now an ambassador for RAINN, the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States. The partnership aims to use entertainment to change how the public views sexual violence and survivorship. Rossum will use her platform as an artist to challenge stigma and amplify the voices of those who have been affected.

More than 78 million people in the nation are survivors of sexual violence. Rossum is among them. She developed a personal connection to the issue while preparing for her role as Alice Black in Hulu’s series Furious. The character is an FBI agent and abuse survivor. The show was created by Elizabeth Meriwether and relied on a team of consultants. That group included survivors of sex trafficking, forensic psychologists, trauma therapists, and FBI agents. RAINN also served as a script consultant during the show’s early development.

Rossum said working with psychologists and survivors on Furious showed her there is no perfect way to be a survivor. She wants to turn that awareness into action. Her goal is to open conversations, break down stigma, and help survivors find pathways to connection and healing. She noted that a character can reach people emotionally in a way that a public service announcement cannot. She cited series such as I May Destroy You and Obsession as examples of stories that sparked important conversations about consent.

The announcement arrived on Wednesday. Rossum is scheduled to appear at an invite-only brunch in Los Angeles on Friday. The event is called Raising the Prevention Generation and is co-hosted by WME and RAINN. It will feature RAINN founder and president Scott Berkowitz, vice president of communications Jennifer Simmons Kaleba, and mental health professionals. The discussion will focus on how adults can talk about sexual violence, consent, and boundaries with children in a digital world.

The alliance began at WME’s inaugural Women’s Health Summit in Los Angeles on Oct. 15. Rossum and RAINN chief of victim services Megan Cutter held a fireside conversation there. Cutter said calls to RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline have increased by 73 percent in recent weeks. She added that Rossum and WME were committed to telling these stories with integrity long before the current moment. She described them as the right partners to help carry the conversation forward.

The partnership comes amid national headlines about sexual assault in the film and television industry, on college campuses, and on the campaign trail. Berkowitz said the Cornell University story is a reflection of what happens on campuses and in communities every day. He called it a wake-up call for many parents. For RAINN, working with a storyteller means the conversation about trauma does not have to live within a news cycle. It can reach people who have never thought of sexual violence as their issue. Berkowitz noted that sexual assault is happening to people we know and love, and that talking about it openly is how we prevent it and support survivors.