♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, horror, no hoax. a young woman ripped from her boyfriend's bed in the middle of the night. >> i remember thinking this is a really bad nightmare. >> drugged, kidnapped, raped, and released. but the police wouldn't believe it. accusing her of faking it. her story compared to the movie "gone girl." >> meticulously stage the crime scene. >> in an abc news exclusive how the truth finally came out. plus beauty with a bite. she grew up like a disney star but she doesn't talk like one. >> anytime you're creating debate i think is the best way to start any revolution. >> bella thorne celebrated for her defiant attitude now opening up about the pressures of child stardom. and "sex and the city" and the state.

the latest tv star to jump into politics. is she a shoo-in? but first here are the "nightline" 5. and number 1 is coming up in just 60 seconds. at ikea, we believe that everything you need should be within reach. that anything that matches your taste can match your budget. that green living doesn't have to cost much green. we believe that you should always have room for the little things. and that your dream kitchen should work as hard as you do.

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of the so-called gone girl. she was kidnapped in the middle of the night and days later left on the side of the road. after that nightmare, though, a new one. police blamed her and her boyfriend for making it all up. now in an abc news exclusive she's telling her story about what happened next. here's abc's amy robach. >> i don't know how to describe what it's like to sit back silently and watch the world have a conversation on the most horrific thing that you've lived through. >> reporter: for denise huskins everything changed one fateful night. >> i remember thinking like that this is a really bad nightmare. >> reporter: it's one that still haunts her today. three years ago she was dragged from her boyfriend aaron quinn's bed in the dead of the night, drugged, kidnapped, and raped. she then mysteriously reappeared two days later about 400 miles away in southern california. aaron had gone to the police pleading for them to investigate. >> everything was accusatory and

fairly quickly a detective said i don't believe you. >> our investigation has concluded that none of the claims can be substantiated. >> reporter: the vallejo county police publicly declared it all a hoax. >> mr. quinn and ms. huskins has plundered valuable resources away from our community. >> my wife, amy elliott dunn, disappeared three days ago. >> reporter: denise quickly dubbed the gone girl after the novel and film about a woman who stages her own disappearance. >> isn't it true that truth is often stranger than fiction? >> this is only strange because the law enforcement made it strange. >> reporter: it was march 2015. denise huskins and aaron quinn were both in bed, asleep. around 3:00 a.m. they heard a noise. >> you were woken up with lights in your face, correct? >> yeah. the voice kept saying wake up, this is a robbery week, not here to harm you. i opened my eyes and there's flark light. and he said aaron turned over.

and i was named. and that was another like oh, my god, what is this? he said i'm going to leave some ties at the edge of the bed. you're going to tie his hands behind his back and his feet together. and i was shaking. and he was encouraging me, saying you're doing a good job. >> saying you were being good victims. >> yeah. >> reporter: they were both blindfolded. aaron had a pair of headphones placed over his years with prerecorded messages that warned him not to resist or denise would be hurt, and they were both made to take drugs. >> he told me to go to the closet and lay down. and that's when he restrained me. i don't know a better word than terrifying. >> reporter: it became clear this attack was not random. >> one of the first things he said to me when he separated us was he gave my parents' address when i grew up, all my bank account records. this was stuff that -- as it kept on going you could tell this was planned. and then i was given multiple instructions by prerecorded messages. a certain amount of money.

>> twoin staum >>. >> two installments of $8500. >> yes. >> reporter: the two were separated. denise forced into the trunk of the attacker's car. they would travel about three hours to the attacker's house in south lake tahoe. >> my only hope was to maybe show him the human that was in front of him. >> how did you do that? >> he shared with me that he just had a difficult time in his life. and i shared with him something that happened when i was younger, hoping maybe that knowing that i've already been assaulted that he won't want to add to it. but you know -- >> he raped you. >> yeah. >> reporter: for the next 48 hours denise would be alone with her attacker, physically assaulted, mentally tormented. meanwhile, aaron was going through hell of his own. according to court documents, aaron awoke, cut himself free,

and saw that his car and laptop were gone. his phones were still there. and he saw e-mail messages demanding the money. despite warnings he calls the police. >> he also had stated if i called anybody they would hurt denise. >> but you did it anyway. >> so i had to make a decision to call the police. i figured like i'm going to be safe, the police will come. >> reporter: but aaron soon went from victim to suspect. >> the moment you walked into the door and you told this story, nobody believed you. >> yeah, they accused me of being drugged. i told them -- i said yes, i am. they drugged me. i gave them permission to go search through my house. i gave them access to all my e-mail accounts because the kidnappers were e-mailing and fairly quickly they turned to detectives saying i don't believe you. just started saying i killed denise. >> what is that moment like? >> i knew they were going to look at me as a suspect. that's what they should do. i was the last person to see her. if it wasn't for denise, if she

didn't get the kidnappers to let her go, i would be behind bars. >> how did you get away? >> he made the decision to release me, and he said that he was going to drive me all the way down to southern california. >> your home town. >> yeah. when he opened the car door, i thought, this is it. like either i'm going to hear a gunshot and that's it or i might get pushed off a cliff. i thought i was walking to my death. and then i heard a door close behind me and i pulled up the blindfold and i just started walking. and the only thing that i was thinking of was i want to see my mom and dad. >> reporter: it seemed a near-miraculous ending to a horrendous ordeal. but for denise and aaron a new sort of trauma was just beginning. >> i didn't act like a good enough victim. >> reporter: shortly after denise reappeared the vallejo police department held this

press conference. >> that is a tremendous amount of resources that in my opinion was wasted. so if anything, it is mr. quinn and miss huskins that owes this community an apology. >> they say this was a kidnapping hoax. >> mm-hmm. >> when all this stuff was happening, we know that the public is in danger and we're trying to do everything to convince the police like you need to -- they're trained professional criminals. like they're going to do this again. >> reporter: the very next day a "san francisco chronicle" reporter receives a series of e-mails from a purported group of criminals claiming responsibility with pictures of computer equipment, fake guns, and more. and with a voice recording from denise. >> my name is denise huskins. i'm kidnapped. otherwise i'm fine. >> reporter: and the supposed attackers ended with this, calling the police response a travesty. about two months after the kidnapping things came to a head when law enforcement responded to reports of a home invasion and robbery near san francisco.

the circumstances eerily familiar. a man attacking a couple in bed using zip ties. only this time one of the victims managed to call police. the suspect ran off but left a cell phone behind. that cell phone tracked back to a 38-year-old harvard-educated man named matthew muller. by june 8th muller was in custody. one of the most notable piece of evidence recovered, aaron quinn's stolen laptop computer. inside his vehicle they found more evidence, including zip ties and swim-style goggles with tape covering the lenses with a long blond hair stuck in the duct tape. muller eventually confessed and pleaded guilty to the kidnapping of huskins. by july she and quinn vindicated. >> they are absolutely 100% not just not guilty but innocent. >> reporter: huskins got the chance to confront muller in court as he was sentenced to 40 years behind bars. >> and you said i am the woman behind the blindfold. >> yeah. he saw me, every part of me, but

he never looked into my eyes. and so i wanted to make sure that he saw me. and he did. >> reporter: but that wasn't the only justice the couple is looking for. >> the vallejo police department did eventually apologize. >> they wrote a letter of apology. they haven't made a public apology. >> they acknowledge that they were wrong, but they wouldn't have done anything different. it's kind of like sorry, i'm not sorry. >> reporter: now muller is facing new state charges including rape. last week huskins and quinn settled a civil lawsuit with the vallejo police for $2.5 million. the police declined to speak to abc news until after that settlement is signed. but they do not admit to any wrongdoing. >> i mean, it was on multiple levels you were victimized. >> i felt like a complete betrayal of humanity. you just don't think that people would be so cruel, and for what. >> reporter: huskins and quinn say this traumatic experience

strengthened their bond and they are committed to moving forward together. the pair recently got engaged and plan to marry in the fall. >> we're excited to put thought into something that's going to be a good day. something joyful. >> yeah. >> a little more fun. >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm amy robach in san francisco. >> incredible story. and amy will have much more on this whole thing on "20/20" this friday night at 10:00, 9:00 central. next here on "nightline," bella thorne speaking out about the pressure of being the family breadwinner as a preteen. but first here the "nightline" q. which former disney star had the birthday destiny hope? miley cyrus, christina aguilera or selena gomez? the answer when we come back. we get so busy, day to day. we don't get the chance to connect. i think surprising my mom with a night ski trip would just be the biggest gift that i could give her.

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the actress bella thorne is loved for her fearless honesty in social media but recently she took it a step further, open up about her years of childhood sexual abuse, and the reaction from her fans, she says, brought her to tears. here's abc's abby boudreau. >> that gorgeous smile. >> there's that smile, bella. >> great, bella. >> reporter: through the rose-colored lens of social media it may look like bella thorne has it all. >> bella! >> reporter: lighting up the red carpet and dazzling photographers on cover shoots. on instagram more than 17 million fans follow the 20-year-old's every post from private jets to movie premieres. but scroll a bit further and you'll find a raw and unfiltered side of the star. >> you are very honest and real at using your social media.

you've announced you're bisexual on twitter. and you've also said that's helped a lot of people. >> it sounds cheesy but there's a reason for change. because i'm lucky enough to pad the background that is not the best background. and yet i am where i am, i have the platform to speak out. >> reporter: that reason, to use her authenticity to show fans that they too could be themselves. >> so many people window up in healthier places if they felt like they actually had someone that's going to sit there and just listen to them. and it's not fair that they don't have help. so that's what we're doing, which is why i use my social media to talk about basically anything. anytime you're creating debate i think is the best way to start any revolution. >> reporter: but her personal revolution didn't happen overnight. >> started modeling when i was six weeks old, out of the womb literally. and then i modeled every single day. >> yummy. extra crispy. >> reporter: starring in fast food commercials and scoring small roles on "the o.c." and

"entourage." >> hmm? ♪ eventually leading to her breakthrough role on disney channel's "shake it up." ♪ shake it up >> i'm going to talk to jordan for a second. >> reporter: now she stars on freeform's "famous in love," where she plays a girl plucked from obscurity navigating the hollywood machine. >> why are you such a horrible human being? >> reporter: a reality bella knows all too well. >> did you feel extra pressure to be someone you maybe weren't? >> i talked in a higher voice, in a completely different pitch. i kept up with this like when i was on that show, that image. people look at me now and they're still like please be that girl. >> reporter: this pressure to maintain that perfect image became very real after her father died suddenly in a motorcycle accident. at just 9 years old bella became the breadwinner for her family. >> your only option was to get the job. >> yeah. 100%. when my father died we had nothing. then here you've got a single

mom with four kids who just lost her husband trying to have a roof over your head. >> i mean, did you have money to eat? did you have a home? >> well, we were very close to actually just literally being on the street. >> i don't get why i even have to learn algebra. >> reporter: and as she played a middle schooler on tv her real-life education took a back seat. >> i remember getting on "shake it up" and i didn't know how to do simple adding and subtracting. also being dyslexic it's a little bit more difficult for me. >> i see letters and sometimes it just looks like alphabet soup. >> does it make you angry looking back? >> 100% it does. it's one of the few things of my childhood that do make me a little bit angry. >> reporter: now at 20 years old she's using her experience to show the world who she really is. >> you either love me or you hate me. there's no in between. >> reporter: opening up to her fans on issues ranging from her struggles with acne to more

serious subjects like the "me too" movement. this past january posting a deeply personal story on instagram, saying she was sexually and physically abused "from the day i can remember till i was 14." >> and what was it that inspired you to post about the "me too" movement, "time's up"? >> well, i write about it a lot, and i wanted to talk about it, but like all the other victims, you know, it's like like a bad fruit. people look at you like your fruit has a bruise. >> reporter: after she posted about her experience she reached out to her long-time manager. >> i called him up and i was like, look at my twitter, is this okay? and he was like, what do you mean is this okay? this is great. you have nothing to be ashamed of, bella. why wouldn't this be okay to say? and i was like, man, that's like what i wanted to hear my whole life. like is like you don't have to be ashamed. >> reporter: support from her

fans pouring in. bella moved to tears. posting on snapchat. >> all the people sharing your sexual abuse stories with me. i just want to say i'm really proud of all you guys. it's such a -- i'm really proud. >> i love that you have an art room here. and like anything goes. >> reporter: here at her los angeles home bella takes us to a place where she says she can best express herself. >> you know, when so many things are piled on your plate and you're just like, i can't do this. and then i paint. >> reporter: in her latest film "midnight sun," bella plays katie price, a senior in high school with a devastating disease. >> i have a severe sensitivity to sunlight. >> reporter: falling in love with her next-door neighbor charlie, who helps the isolated teen find her voice with the help of music. ♪ now she hopes to help others

find theirs. ♪ the light of my life will find its way ♪ >> i really love that song. and i really feel especially for the character. she's like if i keep reaching i'll die but i feel like there's so much more for me to see than this. and like people should take that mentality a little bit more with life. you just never know when it's going to be your last and you should take an opportunity when it comes. >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm abby boudreau in los angeles. >> our thanks to abby boudreau. and "midnight sun" hits theaters this friday. also "famous in love" premieres 4th on freeform. they already conquered the big apple. now which "sex and the city" star is campaigning to lead the entire empire state? you've tried moisturizer but there's one... that blows them all out of the water.

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york. >> this is a time to fight. >> challenging the current governor, andrew cuomo, for the democratic nomination. so can the world's tv gal pal really transition to a career in politics? well, as a wise woman once said -- >> maybe you have to let go of who you were. to become who you will be. >> it's going to be a fun race. thank you for watching "nightline" tonight. as always, we're online 24/7 on our "nightline" facebook page. thank you again for watching. and good night.

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