Michelle Knight was robbed of a normal life, not only during the nearly 11 years she spent imprisoned and abused by Ariel Castro, but also during her early years spent in an unstable home that she eventually ran away from. Now, she told The Associated Press, she's ready to pursue her first chance at an uneventful — and happy — existence. But she's finding it's difficult to blend in after her escape.
"I'm not a celebrity," Knight, 33 told the AP. "I don't want to be. I want to be me," she said.
Knight said she's often swarmed by people she doesn't know, looking to snap a picture or catch a glance. She recently changed her name to Lily Rose Lee and hopes she will be afforded some peace to enjoy the things she was deprived of in captivity, like writing and learning technologies that might be old, but are new to her. So far, Knight seems to have gotten the hang of Facebook, where she uses her page to post inspirational messages like, "Make today the greatest Day of your life, help and love those around you!"
IN-DEPTH
- Michelle Knight Says Fame Comes With Complications (The Associated Press)
Michelle Knight forgives Ariel Castro, says life is 'awesome' (TODAY)