Edge breakfast host Megan Annear opens up about workplace sexual assault

  • 05/04/2018

Megan Annear opened up about her own #MeToo experience in an emotional moment on-air. 

The Edge breakfast host spoke of her own experience, after discussing the  story of Zoe Lawton - a Wellington woman who set up a blog for of sexual harassment and assault in New Zealand law firms. 

"I was once sexually assaulted in the workplace," Annear revealed on Wednesday. "It very much changed who I was as a person.  And it made me very wary of men; it made me not want to trust them." 

Annear said the assault occurred before she began at MediaWorks. 

"This person was very much somebody I trusted and looked up to. They were a lot older than me - old enough to be my dad - and they were in a superior position. 

"I obviously don't want to go into details, but I was lucky in a way because it didn't escalate too much, it didn't go too far. I did manage to get myself out of the situation." 

Annear described how she'll "never forget the feeling" of going to work the next day, waiting for her assaulter to walk in. 

"It felt like the world was going to crumble around me because I was so out of control. He convinced me that nothing had happened; it was all in my head. If anything I was 'flirting'.

"You star doubting yourself, you start thinking, 'Did I flirt?'"  

Co-host Dom Harvey then cut in, telling Annear: "Even if you did flirt, "f**k that guy." 

Annear said Lawton's story connected with her because she was taking on a whole industry with her blog. 

"I know it's so stupid but I'm scared people will think I'm just jumping on the bandwagon to get attention," Annear added, breaking down in tears. 

"We don't think that," Harvey said. "We think the Meg sitting in front of us is a remarkable woman, we really do. And thank you for talking." 

If you or anyone you know needs to seek help following a sexual assault, contact your local support centre, the HELP foundation or safetotalk.co.nz  

Newshub.