Hatcher Discloses She Was Sexually Abused

Teri Hatcher, one of the stars of ABC's "Desperate Housewives," says in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair that her uncle sexually molested her 35 years ago.

The 41-year-old actress says she learned in 2002 that a 14-year-old victim of her uncle had committed suicide. Concerned that he would escape charges of molestation, Hatcher approached the prosecutors.

"This is something I've tried to hide my whole life," Hatcher tells the magazine, which hits newsstands Friday with the actress on the cover. "I was just blown away by this young girl's pain," she says. "I thought, boy, that's really close to being me. Any day of the week I could feel that sort of pain. I haven't tried to kill myself, but I've certainly thought about it."

After Hatcher came forward, her uncle, Richard Hayes Stone, then 64-years-old, pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation in the case of the 14-year-old victim and received 14 years in prison. Chuck Gillingham, the Santa Clara County deputy district attorney in California, said, "Without Teri, this case would have been dismissed."