The Young and the Restless actress, Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra) has proven to be one of the strongest women and actresses in the genre. The actress on the weekend opened up and broke her silence on her short-lived marriage to fellow soap star, Chad Duell (Michael Corinthos, General Hospital). Read her full statement below!
“One year ago, I was getting ready for what I thought would be one of the biggest dreams come true of my life. Little did I know it was the beginning of the end. I’m not going into details, because honestly it’s nobody else’s business but the parties involved. I’ve come to recognize everyone has their own version or assessment that best fits their narrative of a ‘good story’ and helps them rationalize and sleep at night, often involving scrutinizing, villainizing, and discrediting one of the greatest, albeit testing times, half a decade of my life. A love that was built through memories, patience, adventure, lessons, challenges and laughter, a love that did not stand the test of time, and a love that will forever hold a place in my heart because it changed me. The story of how I’ve spent the last year scraping myself off of the floor, time and time again, and then walking out in the world trying to seem ‘OK’, will be housed safely in the hearts of those closest to me who had to bear witness to it and live through it with me. But I have finally come to terms with the fact that a lot of energy went into creating this day. And today I want to honor that, for myself, for those involved, for those who have loved and lost, for those who fought with everything they had, for those who have learned hard lessons in love and had to pick themselves up off of the floor when they thought they may never kneel again, let alone stand, for those who had a dream that never fully came to pass, for those who have taken life’s daggers and turned inward to look deeply at the wounds, lessons and the areas of yourself which can be strengthened and awakened for the next journey. For those trying to make sense of the cards you’ve been dealt. For those learning true acceptance. For those who are turning “starting over” into “starting from a wiser place”/ For those finding their way back to themselves. For those feeling disempowered and need reminding or are coming to terms with the fact that your power and worth lie within you and cannot truly EVER be taken away from you. For those who are doing deep healing work. I’ve lived the life of a Phoenix this last year, and it was far less majestic than I had previously believed it to be. It was painful. It was infuriating. It was powerful. it was enlightening. it was cathartic. It was grounding, and it was my greatest teacher. My relationship with myself is stronger than it’s ever been, and for the first time in my life, I know that I fully, unshakably, have my own back. Because of that, I know now I need to honor this moment for what it was, a powerful celebration and fight for love and a beautiful amalgamation of all those involved. I was proud f what this day turned in to and represented in the moment, regardless of what anyone else has to say. it was almost everything I had imagined it to be, and at this point that’s good enough for me. Though I’m still picking up pieces, where I’m at greatly surpasses anywhere I’ve ever been before. This is my story, this is my one year celebration, and though it may not be like the rest of what I imagined, I’m at peace with it and I’m thankful for where I’m headed next.”
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