Maddie Corman in Accidentally Brave performance

Accidentally Brave

An inspiring true story about discovering a new normal when the familiar world falls apart.

Our New York City Screening

Meadows Behavioral Healthcare and Oscar-winning director/producer Steven Soderbergh hosted a special screening of Accidentally Brave in New York City on April 16, 2024 at the Directors Guild of America. With 375+ attendees, this event also featured a post-screening discussion facilitated by Meadows Senior Fellow Stefanie Carnes, PhD, and featuring Maddie Corman, Jason Alexander, and certified sex addiction therapists and licensed clinical social workers Gary Katz and Jen Acker.

If you weren’t able to make our NYC event, check this page regularly for details about upcoming screenings in other cities in 2024.

Accidentally Brave Movie Screening and Q&A in NYC

The Story Behind Accidentally Brave

What do you do when your husband of two decades and the father of your three children is suddenly revealed to have a shameful and disturbing secret? Accidentally Brave, produced by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh and directed by Kristin Hanggi, is Maddie Corman’s courageous, unflinchingly honest story of what happens when a familiar world falls apart. Based upon her one-woman show of the same name, and with raw vulnerability and unexpected humor, Corman delivers a moving tale of perseverance and hope as the unthinkable tests her marriage, family, and values.

Simultaneously a confession, a sharing of her story, and an examination of what it means to navigate a world without certainty, Corman goes beyond the salacious headlines to recount a story that could easily have destroyed her, revealing how, despite the odds, she and her husband have managed to stay together, growing, healing, and moving forward.

Accidentally Brave: A Message from Maddie Corman

I truly meant for this piece to be something that heals and helps and provides some kind of service. It comes from a place of deep pain and unimaginable loneliness and a burning desire to shine a light on the secrets that keep us sick and tell the stories that are scary to tell and to remind one another of the grace that can sneak in when one’s heart is cracked open.

Maddie Corman

The Meadows-Accidentally Brave Connection

Sex and porn addiction are topics that make people uncomfortable. We don’t want to talk about them — until we’re forced to. When they come to light, devastated couples and individuals turn to clinicians and sex addiction experts like those at Meadows Behavioral Healthcare to help unravel how they got here and create a road map for moving forward. Meadows Behavioral Healthcare is grateful that we can highlight Maddie Corman’s journey, we’re excited by the honest conversation made possible by Accidentally Brave, and we’re honored to help bring this film to audiences.

Gentle Path at The Meadows Entrance

“Maddie is masterful at expressing the devastating impact of betrayal. With her use of side-splitting humor and gut-wrenching honesty, she takes viewers on a journey of trauma, resilience, perseverance, and hope.  She is truly a gifted artist and will be an incredible inspiration to partners healing from betrayal.”

— Stefanie Carnes, PhD Meadows Senior Fellow

Helpful Resources

For those dealing with their own sex or porn addiction or partners caught in the fallout of a loved one’s issues, help is available in the form of treatment programs, workshops, support groups, books, and certified sex addiction therapists.

 

Treatment Programs/Workshops

  • Gentle Path at The Meadows – A 45-day treatment program for men addressing sexual compulsion, porn addiction, and more
  • Willow House at The Meadows – A 45-day treatment program for women addressing sexual trauma, relationship trauma, love addiction, love avoidance, and more
  • Healing Intimate Treason – A five-day workshop at Rio Retreat at The Meadows aimed at repairing the trauma experienced by partners of sex addicts
  • The Betrayal Bond – A five-day workshop at Rio Retreat at The Meadows to address emotional trauma and break free of exploitive relationships
  • Men’s Sexual Recovery – A five-day workshop at Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows focused on offering men healthy alternatives to compulsive sexuality
  • Love Addiction/Love Avoidance – A five-day workshop at Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows based on Pia Mellody’s groundbreaking work conveyed in her book, Facing Love Addiction.

Recommended Books

Maddie’s Recommendations for Partners

To start, I believe that finding a therapist who understands sex addiction and partners is VITAL.
I strongly suggest that your husband do his own 12-Step recovery work with SAA or SA or SRA. There is great wisdom and incredible support/community and compassion to be found in those rooms (Zoom included).

  • Sanon.org – check them out for in-person or Zoom meetings and order some of their literature. I highly recommend the Blue Book and the Daily Reader.
  • Gentle Path at The Meadows – FYI, this is where my husband did rehab
  • partnerhope.com – A great website for betrayal trauma
  • intimacyrecovery.com – A wonderful practice with certified sex addiction therapists (including Founder Director Gary Katz, who has been on our expert panel for our Accidentally Brave screening events) and many online groups
  • Jennifer Acker & Associates – Founder Jennifer Acker has been on our expert panel for our Accidentally Brave screening events
  • centerforhealthysex.com/blog/partners-workshop – An online group for partners starting in September 2024; I have spent time at this center and believe they do really good work

What People Are Saying About Accidentally Brave

“Powerful. Bravura. Humor. Palpable humanity. Maddie Corman gives a riveting performance.”
The New York Times
 
“A truly uplifting experience!”
Broadway World
 
“Run, don’t walk! You will laugh and cry in awe of Maddie’s courage and generosity.”
– Debra Messing, Will & Grace
 
“Loved it! Inspired theater. So grateful to Accidentally Brave for making me feel so much.”
– Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU

Woman watching video

Tune In

Where Can You Watch Accidentally Brave?

Currently, the film is only available through private screenings, but stay tuned for exciting updates about future distribution and streaming details. In the meantime, you can listen to a recording of the stage version of Accidentally Brave on Audible.

Audible

Rebuilding Trust and Relationships

This isn’t an easy process, but it’s a worthwhile one. By working together as a family, recovery can continue for a lifetime.

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