Former UFC and current Invicta FC fighter Kay Hansen has opened up like never before in a new documentary.
Hansen was featured in Invicta’s Diary series this week and detailed her troubled upbringing — including revealing that she was allegedly raped and sexually assaulted by her father as a teenager — which led her to finding the sport of mixed martial arts.
On Tuesday, Hansen explained her decision to share her story in a social media post.
“This documentary was a big step for me, not necessarily as a fighter, but as a person,” Hansen stated. “My successes and struggles have all been in the public eye for many years but everyone has a story behind the scenes. I was raped / [sexually assaulted] by my father for years. Fighting [and] training was my escape, and the only form of reality I really had any control over.”
In a November 2021 interview with MMA Fighting, Hansen revealed that she had been struggling with an eating disorder, which forced her out of a scheduled bout with Jasmine Jasudavicius at UFC 270. In that interview, she said she was “sexually assaulted and raped by a family member from 16 years old to 19 years old,” but didn’t name her father as the alleged abuser.
The reason she didn’t go into more detail was due to fear of how it may follow her in the future, but now she aims to inspire others who have been through similar situations.
“I never spoke up about the abuse I endured due to the repercussions that may follow,” says Hansen. “I tell my story not to ‘help people get to know me,’ but to use the platform my sport has given me to inspire courage in someone who is, or once was, in a similar situation. Sexual abuse is far too common, but oftentimes swept under the rug. You do not have to go through this alone. You deserve peace and justice. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.
“I am blessed to have made it out and to have the opportunity to create and rewrite my own story and mend what I did not break. With that being said, I am extremely happy with the way this documentary was approached and put together. Thank you to everyone who was involved.”
Hansen re-signed with Invicta in 2022 after a 1-3 run in the UFC. The 23-year-old is currently recovering from an injury and hopes to make her return to the Invicta cage later this year.
Watch the documentary of Kay Hansen in the video above.
