Mickey Rooney tells Congress of abuse

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Veteran actor Mickey Rooney on Wednesday urged elderly victims of abuse to speak up to anyone who will listen and described to a Senate panel his own suffering at the hands of a family member. In court documents, Rooney accused his stepson Christopher Aber of intimidating and bullying him and blocking access to his mail. The documents also alleged Aber deprived Rooney of medications and food. Rooney rose to fame as a child star in the 1930s and 1940s when he made more than a dozen Andy Hardy movies. He appeared frequently alongside Judy Garland and, in his heyday, was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, receiving a junior Oscar in 1938. Rooney continued to work in movies and television into his late 80s, appearing in the 2006 film comedy ‘Night at the Museum,’ among other works. Rooney told the Senate committee he suffered in silence for years because “I couldn’t muster the courage to seek the help I knew I needed.” He urged elderly victims to speak out whenever they could. Rooney eventually won a court order handing control of his affairs over to a Los Angeles attorney and obtained a restraining order against his stepson, who was ordered by the court to stay at least 100 yards from Rooney and his home