Esai Morales with a female companion
3 Jan 2008 06:01 Africa/Lagos
Transcript of Elizabeth Mazzocchi Press Conference
Esai Morales' Former Girlfriend Spoke Regarding Her Rape Accusation
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire/ --
The following transcript is distributed on behalf of Elizabeth Mazzocchi regarding her lawsuit against Esai Morales:
Held December 28, 2007
Thank you all for coming out today.
I. Background
My name is Elizabeth Mazzocchi. I am the CEO of a company called Critical Mass Entertainment Group. Critical Mass provides strategic marketing, consulting, and talent management services.
In January 2006, Esai Morales and I began dating. Shortly afterwards, our relationship evolved into a business relationship and I became his talent manager as well as his girlfriend. In March of 2006, I moved into his Los Angeles home, where we lived together as boyfriend and girlfriend for over one year. The initial months of our relationship were the happiest times of my life. I was deeply in love with Esai, and he told me that he felt the same way.
In April of 2006, everything changed. Esai began to physically and verbally abuse me. His physical abuse often caused bruising and bleeding. His most vicious attack occurred on May 19, 2006 when, despite my objections and attempts to escape, Esai Morales held me down and forcibly raped me.
Throughout the rape, he screamed that I "wanted it" and he called me a whore.
After the rape, Esai Morales gave me gifts, and warned me that I should never speak out about the rape. He said he did it because he was upset, and that deep down he loved me. Though it seems almost inconceivable to me as I stand here before you today, I believed him. I wanted so much to believe that the wonderful, gracious and caring person I had come to know was incapable of being such a monster.
Though this is very humiliating for me to admit today, Esai also gave me herpes, from which I will suffer pain and humiliation every day for the rest of my life. When I learned I had herpes in September 2006, I confronted him, and he told me that he had known since long before we began dating that he had the disease. He also said, "So what -- 30 million other people have it too." Esai Morales also confessed to me that he had frequently had sex with other women during our relationship, at least one of whom subsequently confirmed that she, too, contracted herpes from Esai Morales.
II. Lawsuit
Many of the details of Esai Morales' conduct are set forth in the civil complaint that I filed through my prior counsel. My current attorneys, who are here today, can provide you with a copy of the complaint if you would like.
Since I initiated my lawsuit against Esai Morales, I have been approached by a number of people who have told me that they too were sexually assaulted and/or violently raped by Esai Morales.
Two of these women have provided me with sworn declarations describing Esai Morales' conduct in detail. They are both prepared to assist me in my lawsuit and to speak to the press to shed light on what a monster Esai Morales actually is. One of these women in particular describes a scene when, as a college student, she went out on a date with Esai Morales. When she went to pick up him at his house at the beginning of the date, Esai Morales asked her to come in and then violently and viciously raped her. Just like he had done with me, he told her she "wanted it," and called her a "whore." Then, he threatened her and stalked her to keep her quiet. She is ready to break the silence, as am I.
III. Why I Am Coming Forward?
Let me explain why I have called this press conference.
I am coming forward today and holding this press conference for 4 main reasons:
First, I feel like I have an obligation to Esai Morales' prior victims who have bravely come forward to tell their nightmarish stories of rape and sexual assault. As I mentioned, when my case first became public and various media outlets reported on the case, a number of people came forward -- totally unsolicited -- with information concerning Esai Morales' prior rapes and sexual assaults. So far, 2 of these women have provided sworn declarations, detailing instances of violent rapes and sexual assaults against them by Esai Morales. These women came forward despite fears for their safety, fears based on the fact that Esai Morales had previously stalked and threatened them -- as he did to me. I have an obligation to these brave women to honor their courage and fearlessness in coming forward. It is for these prior victims -- who have recently come forward and are finally getting a chance to raise their voices -- that I am speaking out today.
Second, I feel like I have an obligation to Esai Morales' prior victims who have not yet come forward. I understand how these women feel. I was in their shoes: Esai Morales had abused, raped, and threatened me too. I too feared for my life based on his threats. But I have found strength in the other brave women victimized by Esai Morales who have come forward and signed declarations detailing his prior sexual abuse. I feel empowered to carry on and fight the good fight. Because these brave women empowered me, I want to share this sense of empowerment with other women who are currently out there who are perhaps lonely, perhaps scared, but who all share the common trauma of having been sexually abused by Esai Morales. It is for these women -- who have not yet had a chance to raise their voices -- that I am speaking out today.
Third, I feel like I have an obligation to all of the innocent women out there who may one day be victimized by Esai Morales. Hopefully, by coming forward together with Esai Morales' prior victims, we can prevent him from raping any more innocent women. It is for these women -- who have not yet and hopefully never do suffer at the hands of Esai Morales -- that I am speaking out today.
Finally, I feel like I have an obligation to myself. As a result of Esai Morales' rape and subsequent threats of physical harm against me if I came forward, I have been forced to move from my home and live like a fugitive. I have been living in fear and in hiding for too long. I have chosen to retake control of my life. It is my hope that by coming forward and publicizing my story, Esai Morales will be less likely to carry through with his threats to physically harm me. So, it is for my physical safety that I am coming forward.
Knowing Esai Morales, it is predictable how he will react to my coming forward. He will try to discredit me by calling me names and publishing a host of lies about me. He will call me a jilted ex-lover. But that will not deter me. By telling my story in front of a judge and jury, and receiving the support of all of Esai Morales' other victims, I will prevail. And together, we will make sure Esai Morales is unable to rape another innocent woman, or give a sexually transmitted disease to any other woman.
IV. Closing/Pleas
In closing, I would like to make two pleas to the public.
First, I would like to make a plea to any other woman who has been raped or sexually assaulted by Esai Morales to please come forward. I know it's difficult, and you're fearful, but if you have been a victim of a rape or assault at the hands of Esai Morales, I encourage you to come forward and contact me. You can reach me at "standbyliz@gmail.com". There is strength in numbers, and together we can help ourselves and our fellow women.
Second, I would like to make a plea to anybody else out there that may have information concerning a prior rape or sexual assault by Esai Morales. If you come forward and gather the courage to speak out about the truth, you will not only help the victim that was raped or sexually assaulted by Esai Morales, but you will help all of those other innocent women out there right now who may be future victims of Esai Morales. Again, if you have any information and want to come forward, you can reach me at "standbyliz@gmail.com".
Thank you for your time and attention.
Source: Elizabeth Mazzocchi
CONTACT: Cara Morrissey, +1-310-454-3080, cell, +1-310-499-3033,
cara@ballantinespr.com; or The Law Firm of Eisner & Frank, +1-310-855-3200,
both for Elizabeth Mazzocchi
