#ziggy sobotka

I still wrestle with the catharsis of acting. I don’t end up playing a lot of likable characters, so I find myself living in a lot of unlikable skin. As a result of that I don’t always feel good. I get a lot more catharsis from taking pictures or painting or making short films. You have some control. I think all art—if it’s good—is a result of really trying to create something that you can’t put into words. Where language ends is where good art begins.

James Ransone as Ziggy Sobotka

Couple of minutes ago, we just saw mother and son, now we’re seeing father and son. Two totally different situations, two different cultures—I guess David, his message is […] the people might be different, but the story’s the same: father loves his son, just the way that mother loves her son... Guess they can’t do anything to help them.

James Ransone was far from perfect. I'm well aware, but that's what always intrigued me about him. He wasn't your standard actor/celebrity who would say anything to please the masses. He was himself; he was messy, brash, and honestly a little zany, but that's what I enjoyed about him.

He did do/say some bad shit, but with what he went through, I think it really goes to show how sexual abuse is far more traumatizing than people realize. The road to recovery, no matter what it is you're healing from is never an easy ride. It's not pretty, there's hurting, a lot of hurting and sometimes, it gets too much for people. Which is why many resort to self-medicating through drugs/alcohol. And that's another thing.

Male SA still isn't taken as seriously as Female SA, and it is fucking heartbreaking.

My bestest friend in the entire world and my sister have both been sexually assaulted in their lives. You may hear about the ones who were able to cope, but I promise you, for every cope there's always James Ransone. Someone who never could cope no matter how hard they tried.

And really listen to me when I say this; Healing isn't pretty. It is a consistent effort to make sure you don't fall down that path again, and some people just aren't able to cope. James Ransone is just one of many of those people. It's sad, it's horrible, because no one should ever be defined by what happened to them. But sometimes, it just happens.

He was definitely struggling, but I hope he is at peace now. And I hope his family; wife, kids, brother, are doing as okay as one can be in this situation. And I, for one, am very proud of him for keeping on as long as he did. He got really bad towards the end, but even then, I think he still tried to fight. And fight he did.

To all of you who see this and are a sexual assault survivor, male, female, nonbinary, trans, young, old, what have you. I see you, I love you, and I hope you are able to seek the resources you might need or the right people to talk to to guide you through your journey.

Suicide Hotline Number: 988

National Sexual Assault Number: 1-800-656-4673