She changed her name from Michelle to Lily – her favourite flower – as part of her rebirth.Īmanda, Lily and Gina agreed to go their separate ways so that they could all heal separately with no reminders of their imprisonment. We cried together and sometimes we laughed, just to make our lives that bit normal.įor Lily, adjusting to the outside world was difficult. ‘When the other two girls arrived, we provided a lot of emotional support for each other. I was going to get out and make my son proud – he honestly kept me going. ‘There were times when I felt like killing myself,’ says Lily. Every window was nailed shut, doors locked, and with no way of ever getting out, she found a way to survive. She was banned from taking showers and forced to use a bucket as a toilet. He got her pregnant five times and each time he would starve and beat Lily until she miscarried. He then strapped a sock in her mouth with duct tape and left.įor almost 4000 days Lily was held captive – at first in the upstairs bedroom and later in the basement with Amanda and Gina, who he had also lured in.Īlmost all of the time Lily was shackled, and every day he would sexually assault her. Lily was taken to an upstairs bedroom where Castro chained her up with extension cords and sexually assaulted her. ‘An overwhelming fear came over me and I instinctively knew I was in trouble.’ Then the next thing he slammed the door shut.Īriel Castro (pictured) held Michelle captive for 11 years I saw his dog, then went into the house to see his puppies. ‘We got to his house and he locked his gates, which wasn’t unusual because he lived in a bad neighbourhood. ‘I was good friends with his daughter at school, so I trusted him. ‘I got in his car willingly because I knew him,’ explains Lily. He also asked her if she would like one of his puppies for her son. She was on her way to an appointment when Castro – a friend’s father – stopped her and told her he knew the building where she needed to be. Lily was just 20 years old when she was taken by Castro. When I married my husband Miguel, I wore the dress and it was honestly the best day of my life.’ ‘I made myself believe that there was a man outside of those walls for me, someone special. I would dream that I would meet a kind, loving man who would look after me,’ Lily, now 37, exclusively tells New Idea.

‘On my darkest days when I was being kept prisoner, I would think about my wedding. Now Michelle – who has changed her name to Lily Rose Lee – has revealed the incredible news that her dreams have come true and she is now married.

Did michelle knight ever meet her son