This is very good advice. Human beings tend to overlook, minimize, or just not closely examine their own failings, expecially painful and shameful ones. And then when they tell the story to others, they tend to portray themselves as victims - innocent and persecuted.

But you need to be very careful when you go from telling your friends to making public, consequential, legal moves. Contact a journalist, and they will want to find the whole story, not just your fanciful version. Involve lawyers and the same thing will happen.

Talk to a lawyer first; let them dig in and find the real story; be completely open and honest. Then see where you stand.