'Luckiest Girl Alive' Author Jessica Knoll Says Gang Rape Scene Was Based on Her Life

Author Jessica Knoll has revealed that the harrowing gang rape scene in her best-selling novel “Luckiest Girl Alive” was actually based on her traumatic experiences as a 15-year-old girl.

“I’ve been running and I’ve been ducking and I’ve been dodging because I’m scared,” the former Cosmopolitan editor wrote in an essay for Lena Dunham‘s Lenny Letter on Tuesday.

“I’m scared people won’t call what happened to me rape because for a long time, no one did. But as I gear up for my paperback tour, and as I brace myself for the women who ask me, in nervous, brave tones, what I meant by my dedication, What do I know? I’ve come to a simple, powerful revelation: everyone is calling it rape now,” she continued.

Also Read: Lionsgate Acquires Novel 'Luckiest Girl Alive,' Reese Witherspoon to Produce

“There’s no reason to cover my head. There’s no reason I shouldn’t say what I know.”

Published by Simon & Schuster, “Luckiest Girl Alive” is Knoll’s debut novel and tells the story of TifAni FaNelli, 28, who seemingly has it all: the perfect job, the perfect man, the perfect life. But through flashbacks, Ani’s traumatic teenage past is revealed, including a horrifying night at a party when three guys from her high school gang-rape her.

Knoll says that many readers had been asked about the book’s dedication which reads: “To all the TifAni FaNellis of the world, I know,” prompting her to share the truth about her own past.

“It means I know what it’s like to not belong, I waffle in response to readers, usually women whose albatrosses I can sense, just as they sense mine,” she said. “What I don’t add: I know what it’s like to shut down and power through, to have no other choice than to pretend to be OK. I am a savant of survivor mode.”

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The author’s own experiences dramatically reflect that of her lead character in that she attended a party as a teen, drank too much and flirted with a boy she had a crush on, and then passed out [perhaps from being drugged] and awoke with “a Different Boy’s head between my legs. I remember A Different Boy from a flare of coherence earlier, trying to help me walk when my anesthetized legs failed me,” she said.

“I know that the pain is what woke me next. That I was moaning Ow, over and over, before even opening my eyes.”

She was later bullied and shamed at high school for being a slut — but “no one called it rape,” she said.

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“Like Ani, the only way I knew to survive was to laugh loudly at my rapists’ jokes, speak softly to the mean girls, and focus on chiseling my tunnel out of there,” Knoll wrote.

Drawing comparisons to bestseller-turned-blockbuster movie “Gone Girl,” the rights to “Luckiest Girl Alive” were acquired by Lionsgate in April of last year. Reese Witherspoon will produce with her Pacific Standard partner Bruna Papandrea.

“‘Luckiest Girl Alive’ is the kind of book that grabs you and doesn’t let go. The hero of the book is a wily, intelligent, complex narrator,” Witherspoon, who produced Oscar nominee “Wild,” said in a statement last year when the deal was announced.

Also Read: Lady Gaga Opens Up About Being Raped at 19: 'I Didn't Know How to Not Blame Myself' (Video)

“This character and the thrilling narrative that she drives are exactly the kind of story our company, Pacific Standard Films, wants to produce. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Jessica and Lionsgate to bring her debut novel to the screen.”

19 Books That Scored Better Movie Titles, From 'Cruel Intentions' to 'Die Hard' (Photos)

Who says Hollywood ruins books? Sometimes the movie title improves on the original.
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"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946)

The classic film about how angels get their wings is based on a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern called "The Greatest Gift." What was first a self-published booklet turned into one of the most beloved films ever, and earned five Oscar nominations.
Various
"Cape Fear" (1962, 1991)

Joseph D. MacDonald's "The Executioners" has had two big screen adaptations -- one in 1962 starring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, and one in 1991 from Martin Scorsese. In both bases they went with the title "Cape Fear."
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"Dr. Strangelove" (1964)

It took Stanley Kubrick a while to settle on a title for his take of Peter George's satirical novel "Red Alert." He ended up with one of the most unique titles in film history: "Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."
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"Apocalypse Now" (1979)

Many filmmakers attempted to bring Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" to the big screen, but it wasn't until Francis Ford Coppola set it in Vietnam and renamed it "Apocalypse Now" that the narrative finally got a successful adaptation.
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"Blade Runner" (1982)

Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" left some people scratching their heads, but Philip K. Dick's short story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?" -- on which it is based -- would probably have just added to any confusion.
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"Manhunter" (1986)

Hannibal Lecter had his big screen debut before "The Silence of the Lambs." Thomas Harris' first novel, "Red Dragon," was directed by Michael Mann and retitled "Manhunter." Brian Cox played Lecter.
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"Stand By Me" (1986)

Stephen King is best known for his horror/thriller stories, but with a different tone than most of his work, "The Body" was changed to "Stand by Me" in an attempt to reflect that.
Various
"Die Hard" (1988)

The team behind "Die Hard" changed more than just the title of Roderick Thorp's "Nothing Lasts Forever." John McLane was originally Joe Leland, Hans Gruber's name was Anton, and it was McLane's daughter office he got stuck in, not his wife's.
Various
"Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" (1988)

The source material for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" had a darker tone than the eventual film. "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?" saw Roger Rabbit murdered, and his ghost hires private eye Eddie Valiant to find his killer.
Various
"Field of Dreams" (1989)

Nearly 70 years after Shoeless Joe Jackson's baseball career ended, most people probably wouldn't recognize the name, the take on W.P. Kinsella's novel "Shoeless Joe" was renamed "Field of Dreams."
Various
"Goodfellas" (1990)

Nicholas Pileggi's true-crime book "Wiseguys" was renamed by director Martin Scorsese. However, the nickname of "wiseguys" is mentioned in the final film.
Various
"10 Things I Hate About You" (1999)

Based on William Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," the adaptation starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger brought things to the present day and gave it a more timely title, "10 Things I Hate About You."
Various
"Cruel Intentions" (1999)

Choderlos de Laclos' "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" got a direct adaptation in 1988, but was given a modern spin with "Cruel Intentions," which starred Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Reese Witherspoon.
Various
"The 13th Warrior" (1999)

"Eaters of the Dead" was the original title for John McTiernan's adaptation, but author Michael Crichton supposedly was so disappointed with the film they changed the name.
Various
"O Brother, Where Are Thou?" (2000)

This very loose adaptation of Greek poet Homer's "The Odyssey" from the Coen brothers changed many details to fit their trademark style, including the title to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
Various
"Adaptation" (2002)

Coming from the mind of Charlie Kaufman, changing the title of "The Orchid Thief" to "Adaptation" was tame. Rather than telling the story of an author's search for a rare flower, Kaufman instead told the story of his struggles to adapt "The Orchid Thief."
Various
"There Will Be Blood" (2007)

Upton Sinclair's 1920s novel "Oil" served as loose inspiration for 2007's "There Will Be Blood," a much more dramatic title for the oil tycoon story.
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"Slumdog Millionaire" (2008)

The rags-to-riches tale that gave Dev Patel his start was inspired by the novel "Q&A" by Vikas Swarup in 2005. "Slumdog Millionaire" went on to win eight Oscars including Best Picture.
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"Carol" (2015)

The 1952 romance novel by Patricia Highsmith was later published under the title "Carol," which is the title of T0dd Haynes' Oscar-nominated 2015 movie.
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