There was nothing funny about what happened to comedian Sarah Silverman when she went for her latest mammogram.
In an emotional post on Instagram Wednesday, Silverman wrote that she had a “sh—y time” at her mammogram appointment.
“I have to get an ultrasound after my mammograms because I have dense breasts and this radiologist — the same man I had last year — I do not like him,” she wrote.
She said that he opened her gown and “put gel on my breasts and smeared it around with his bare hands.”
“Then he started talking to me about my chest X-ray and was pontificating with my boobs just out and covered in gel and cold and finally I said ‘Hey-can we either talk about this when I’m dressed or WHILE your [sic] doing the ultrasound?'” she wrote. “‘I’m not comfortable with my breasts out…”
Warning: Instagram post contains profanities
Silverman also said the radiologist dragged his fingers on her breasts while “he glides the ultrasound wand thing.”
She said she asked him, “Do you need to be touching me with your fingers?”
She said he responded “no” and moved his fingers away. He went on to explain that he touches them “for balance.”
Silverman wrote that she didn’t think he was “getting off” on touching her, but said “it is his job to be aware that this is vulnerable for a woman.”
“That was my last mammogram with this dude,” Silverman wrote. “Or any dude.”
“Look. I’m a grown woman and I’m fine. But this guy does this with everyone and I know that personally it took many years into adulthood before I spoke up for myself. It’s uncomfortable and too easy to think it’s all in your head,” she wrote.
She continued, “this doctor [takes] advantage of women’s socialized instinct to not speak up.”
“All this to say speak up,” she ended her post. “Trust that thing in your gut that tells you this s–t ain’t right.”
The post had more than 8,000 comments and nearly 93,000 likes.
Several celebrities weighed in on the post.
Actress Elizabeth Banks wrote, “Those of you in this industry — please do the best you can to empathize with the vulnerability of women in this situation and act accordingly.”
Comedian Nikki Glaser wrote, “Thank you for this, Sarah!”
Actress Meredith Salenger urged Silverman to report what happened. “Please tell the manager of the company or the lab. Whatever. Tell your doctor who sent you there. They need a better protocol but it won’t change unless they get a talking to. I’d have your doctor call the lab and discuss this.”
Silverman responded, “This guy IS the boss his name’s on the door. But I told my GP who confronted him as well. I am dealing with it just not on IG.”
