Rhona’s wedding day in Emmerdale takes a violent turn when her new husband Pierce brutally rapes her, reveals star Zoe Henry
We’ve known it all along, and so has Vanessa Woodfield, that Rhona Goskirk and Pierce Harris were never going to live happily ever after. In fact, they don’t even get through 24 hours as man and wife before he turns nasty and he rapes her,while their loved ones are celebrating their nuptials in The Woolpack.
“Rhona’s shocked by what happens,” Zoe Henry told Soaplife. “It’s so awful that she doesn’t know what to do. She’ll never get over it…” Will she have the courage to report Pierce and leave him?
How’s Rhona feeling on the morning of her wedding day? “She’s anxious as Pierce [Jonathan Wrather] is doing his usual disappearing act. He’s a bit distracted, but she thinks it’s wedding nerves. She really loves him. He made her smile again after her marriage to Paddy Kirk [Dominic Brunt] broke down.”
Is Vanessa at the wedding ceremony? “No. It’s really strained between them and she doesn’t quite make it to the wedding. Rhona’s gutted, but Pierce is her priority and she and Vanessa [Michelle Hardwick] are in a better place than they have been for a while.”
How does Rhona feel when Paddy gives the marriage his blessing? “It’s amazing for her to have him on board. He gives her a necklace that belonged to his mum and it’s very emotional. Paddy was the love of Rhona’s life and she never expected them to go their separate ways.”
What’s the wedding ceremony like? “Rhona and Pierce are both a bit nervous. There aren’t many people there and that’s probably what Rhona wants. She doesn’t want a fancy do with a big old meringue of a dress. All that matters is that her son, Leo, and Pierce are there. She’s blissfully happy.”
When does it all go wrong? “Pierce says he wants to take Rhona back to the house to give her a wedding gift. She thinks it’ll be something beautiful, but things take a dark turn when he says he’s bought her a property miles away. They have an almighty row and he gets violent.”
What does Rhona think after Pierce brutally rapes her? “She always knew he had a temper, but she didn’t for one second expect this. She feels very alone. She’s pushed a lot of people away, especially Vanessa, who’s the person she’d automatically have gone to. She feels stupid and that, in some way, it’s her fault.”
Is Pierce remorseful? “His reaction is surprising. He tries to sweep it under the carpet and suggests that she asked for it, which is appalling. He tells her to pull herself together because people will be wondering where they’ve got to.”
What next for Rhona? “The attack is so extreme that it’s going to be a long and hard path for Rhona. She’s going to need a lot of support from people like Vanessa, Paddy and Marlon [Mark Charnock].”
Emmerdale, ITV
