Common Opens Up About Being Sexually Abused at Age Nine
Rapper Common recently opened up about something that we wish wasn’t so common as he speaks about being sexually assaulted.
In his newly-released memoir, Let Love Have the Last Word, the “Glory” lyricist heartbreakingly revealed that he was molested at the tender age of nine.
While recounting a family visit to Cleveland, Ohio, Common spoke candidly about the incident, as he described the humiliation he felt after it took place.
“I was excited for a road trip I was about to take with my family. My mother, my Godmother, Barbara, her son and my Godbrother, Skeet, and his relative, who I’ll call Brandon,” the Chicago native wrote.
During the trip, Common, who was roomed with Brandon, then recalled things later getting inappropriate.
“At some point, I felt Brandon’s hand on me. I pushed him away. I don’t remember saying a whole lot besides ‘No, no, no.’ He kept saying ‘It’s okay, it’s okay,’ as he pulled down my shorts and molested me.”
He also remembered the abuser pressuring him to reciprocate the act, but he refused.
“I felt a deep and sudden shame for what happened,” the 47-year-old admitted.
However, it wasn’t until a few years ago that Common realized he’d been a victim of sexual abuse. Amid being on the set of The Tale, which starred actress Laura Dern, is when the revelation actually came to him.
“One day, while talking through the script with Laura, old memories surprisingly flashed my mind,” he detailed. “I caught my breath and just kept looping the memories over and over, like rewinding an old VHS tape. I said, ‘Laura, I think I was abused.'”
Though the pain from the scar still remains, Common is currently undergoing mental and emotional healing with his therapist, and he hopes that his story will help others.
TMZ was able to catch up with him outside of NBC in New York, and here’s what he had to say. Take a look…
If you, or anyone you know, have gone through sexual assault, speak up and speak out. Your voice deserves to be heard.
(Main photo by Ilya S. Savenok)
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