Stanford Rape Victim Revealed to Be UCSB Alum

When she directly addressed her rapist in a 7,100-word courtroom statement, her words went viral and sparked a national dialog about rape on college campuses. Her statement — addressed to Brock Turner, who had raped her in 2015 while she was unconscious on Stanford’s campus — was read millions of times and translated worldwide. Known as “Emily Doe,” “unconscious intoxicated woman,” and “Brock Turner’s victim” in the yearlong, national media–fraught rape trial, the sexual-assault survivor released her true identity Wednesday morning — UCSB alumna Chanel Miller.

Miller decided to go public in advance of her soon-to-be-published memoir, Know My Name. The book’s cover, blue with golden cracks, is inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi. The art form mends broken pottery with gold, making it more beautiful than before it was broken. It’s an apt metaphor for Miller’s survival story and the healing she sought after the assault and public trial: “She reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words,” her publisher, Viking, wrote. 

Brock Turner was found guilty of three counts of felony sexual assault, for which the maximum sentence was 14 years. Judge Aaron Persky, who has since been recalled by voters, sentenced Turner to only six months in county jail. 

Know My Name is scheduled for release September 24.