Big Little Lies: Jane and Corey on Healing After Sexual Assault

Big Little Lies has never shied away from difficult conversations. Season 1 offered a stark and thoughtful portrayal of assault and domestic violence that resonated deeply with audiences. Now, in its second season, the show continues to explore the lingering effects of trauma with remarkable sensitivity and depth. While Celeste grapples with her conflicting feelings about Perry’s death, Jane faces an entirely different challenge: navigating the complex world of dating and intimacy following her rape.

The relationship between Jane Chapman and Corey Brockfield serves as a powerful vehicle for exploring these challenges. Through their interactions, Big Little Lies offers not just an honest exploration of assault, but what happens afterward—the slow, often painful process to reclaim one’s body, sexuality, and sense of safety in relationships.

The Beginning of Something New

Jane and Corey’s relationship began in the most ordinary of ways. Working together at the aquarium, they shared workspace and forced interactions on a regular basis. Corey, portrayed as a sweet but awkward surfer, showed interest in Jane from the start. Their first date seemed promising on the surface, but it quickly revealed the depth of Jane’s trauma.

When Corey attempted to kiss Jane at the end of their first date, she bristled. Her body reacted instinctively, pulling away from what should have been a natural moment of connection. But Corey’s response was immediately understanding. Rather than pushing or expressing disappointment, he asked if he could hug her instead. The two began to slow dance in the driveway, a moment that beautifully captured the complexity of trauma—how the heart can simultaneously crave emotional intimacy while the body shuts down in self-protection.

This scene set the tone for Jane’s journey throughout Season 2. It demonstrated that healing isn’t linear, and those walls built by trauma don’t automatically fall down with one romantic interaction or even several. It may take months or years to allow oneself to be open in another relationship, or it may never happen completely. There’s always a part that remains too scarred to allow vulnerability into that safe space.

The Disco Party Incident

Things became more intense during Amabella’s disco-themed birthday party. While dancing with Corey, Jane began having vivid flashbacks to her assault. The simple movement of his hand triggered a cascade of memories she had worked so hard to manage. Her mind froze and her body recoiled, pulling her out of the present moment and back into the trauma of her past.

Later, Jane confided in Celeste about the experience. “He moved his hand and—my mind froze and my body recoiled,” she explained, her frustration palpable. “It’s really frustrating because I’m doing so well, and then something like that happens and it’s like, am I ever going to be able to be sexual again?”

This question echoes in the minds of countless survivors. Jane’s frustration speaks to a common experience among rape survivors: the mind-body disconnect. Mentally, Jane wants to move on, to engage in a healthy relationship, to experience intimacy without fear. But physically, her body isn’t quite ready. The trauma has created an automatic protective response that overrides her conscious desires.

Understanding the Mind-Body Disconnect

What Jane experiences is far from uncommon. It’s well-documented that rape survivors often feel triggered or have difficulty engaging sexually, even when they want to move forward with their lives. This phenomenon represents a fundamental disconnect between what the mind wants and what the body allows.

One survivor described this disconnect powerfully: “The minute you realize your body is indeed your own, you are instantly reminded that it was forcefully taken from you.” This paradox lies at the heart of the recovery process. Each step toward reclaiming autonomy can simultaneously trigger memories of when that autonomy was violated.

Certified sex therapists describe the goal as “integration”—fusing the self that experienced trauma with the healthy self that’s moving forward. This isn’t something that happens overnight or through willpower alone. It’s an ongoing process of learning how to deal with these triggers and flare-ups as they come. And it’s precisely this process that Big Little Lies portrays through Jane’s relationship with Corey.

The Power of Disclosure

One of the most significant moments in Jane and Corey’s relationship came when Jane decided to tell him about her assault. After the disco party incident, when Corey found her outside, Jane made a choice. She chose vulnerability over protection, honesty over avoidance.

“I was raped,” she said plainly, her voice steady despite the weight of the words. “Pretty violently, by a man who I thought was sensitive and kind. That’s how I got Ziggy.”

Corey’s response was simple but profound. He looked up, said “Really?” and then took her hand. There were no grand declarations, no attempts to fix what couldn’t be fixed, no platitudes about time healing all wounds. Just presence. Just listening. Just being there.

This quiet moment encapsulates something Douglas Smith, the actor who plays Corey, learned from working on the show. When someone shares something deeply traumatic with you, it’s not about saying the right thing. It’s about listening and being there, not trying to do anything more than that. Sometimes we feel obligated to help a person get over something, but maybe some things are too big to get over. Maybe just being there is enough.

The Healing Journey

Jane’s journey with Corey represents an important part of the healing process—trying to explore a romantic relationship with somebody after being a victim of assault and not letting that trauma keep you from enjoying those aspects of life. But the show doesn’t present this as easy or straightforward. The exploration doesn’t come easily, which is precisely why it resonates so deeply with survivors.

Many survivors find themselves derailing potential relationships and even friendships to keep themselves in the “safe” zone, void of emotional attachment so as not to get hurt in such a traumatic, violent way ever again. Jane’s willingness to continue trying with Corey, despite the triggers and flashbacks, represents tremendous courage.

Shailene Woodley, who plays Jane, has spoken about her character taking control of her life back in Season 2. The show wanted to depict a young woman who had survived rape and who had survived so many atrocities in her life—like being a young mother without very much support from anyone else around her—and yet forging through with a bravery and courage that has helped give her son a beautiful life.

The Broader Implications

Through Jane and Corey, Big Little Lies offers not just an honest exploration of assault, but what happens afterward. The show depicts the slow process to reclaim one’s body and sexuality, the difficult conversations that often entails, and in Corey’s case, the discomfort of not knowing how to respond to someone else’s trauma.

Because sometimes there are no “right” words, and there is no getting “over” it—only learning how to live with it, and perhaps even finding happiness in spite of it. This is a crucial message for both survivors and the people who care about them. It acknowledges that trauma doesn’t have an expiration date and that healing isn’t about returning to who you were before, but rather integrating the experience into who you are becoming.

The show also highlights the ongoing nature of recovery. Jane isn’t consistently triggered, nor is she consistently fine. She has good days and difficult days. She makes progress and then experiences setbacks. This realistic portrayal helps combat the misconception that healing from sexual trauma follows a predictable timeline or that survivors should be “over it” by a certain point.

Why This Representation Matters

Sexual assault remains an omnipresent threat in our society, and the aftermath of such violence extends far beyond the immediate trauma. The way Big Little Lies portrays Jane’s experience validates the experiences of countless survivors who struggle with intimacy, trust, and relationships after assault.

For many survivors, seeing their experiences reflected on screen can be both painful and cathartic. It provides a language for experiences that are often difficult to articulate. It shows partners and loved ones what support can look like. It demonstrates that healing is possible, even when it’s messy and non-linear.

The show also explores the entity that sexual assault becomes—a powerful force that stays with survivors long after the event has passed, separating them from every possible good thing life has to offer. By giving Jane a storyline that extends beyond her trauma to encompass her attempts at healing and connection, Big Little Lies refuses to let her assault define her entirely while still acknowledging its profound impact.

The Role of Patient Partners

Corey’s character serves an important function in this narrative. His patience, understanding, and willingness to simply be present offer a model for how partners can support survivors. He doesn’t push for physical intimacy. He doesn’t express frustration when Jane pulls away. He doesn’t try to “fix” her or rush her healing process.

Instead, he listens. He gives her space. He lets her set the pace. When she discloses her trauma, he doesn’t make it about him or his discomfort. He acknowledges what she’s told him and offers comfort through simple physical presence—holding her hand.

This portrayal is significant because it shows that supporting a survivor doesn’t require grand gestures or perfect words. It requires presence, patience, and a willingness to meet them where they are in their healing journey.

Looking Forward

Jane and Corey may have only just started dating, but getting to know him has helped Jane begin working through her trauma and heal. Their relationship doesn’t erase her pain or make her triggers disappear, but it provides a safe space for her to practice vulnerability again, to gradually learn to trust again, to slowly reclaim her sexuality and sense of autonomy.

The show doesn’t promise a fairy tale ending or suggest that love conquers all. Instead, it offers something more realistic and, in many ways, more hopeful: the possibility that survivors can forge meaningful connections even while carrying their trauma, that healing can happen alongside relationship building, and that the right partner can be part of that healing journey without being solely responsible for it.

Big Little Lies demonstrates that recovery from sexual assault is an ongoing process that involves difficult conversations, uncomfortable triggers, patient partners, and tremendous courage. Through Jane’s journey with Corey, the show provides a nuanced, compassionate exploration of what it means to reclaim one’s life and capacity for intimacy after assault.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does Big Little Lies portray dating after sexual assault?

A: Big Little Lies portrays dating after sexual assault through Jane’s relationship with Corey, showing the challenges of physical intimacy, triggers, flashbacks, and the slow process of healing. The show depicts both the mind-body disconnect survivors experience and the importance of patient, understanding partners.

Q: What is the mind-body disconnect in trauma survivors?

A: The mind-body disconnect refers to when a trauma survivor mentally wants to move forward and engage in relationships and intimacy, but their body physically reacts with fear, recoiling, or shutting down. This disconnect is a common response to sexual trauma where the body maintains protective mechanisms even when the mind desires connection.

Q: How does Corey support Jane in Big Little Lies?

A: Corey supports Jane by being patient, understanding, and present. He doesn’t push for physical intimacy when she pulls away, he listens when she shares her trauma without trying to fix her, and he lets her set the pace of their relationship. His simple act of holding her hand after she discloses her assault demonstrates the power of quiet support.

Q: What does integration mean in trauma recovery?

A: Integration in trauma recovery refers to the process of fusing the self that experienced trauma with the healthy self that’s moving forward. It involves learning to deal with triggers and flare-ups as they come, rather than trying to eliminate them completely or return to who you were before the trauma.

Q: Why is Jane’s storyline in Big Little Lies important?

A: Jane’s storyline is important because it provides realistic representation of the long-term effects of sexual assault and the non-linear nature of healing. It validates the experiences of survivors, educates viewers about trauma responses, and demonstrates that healing is possible even when it’s difficult and messy.