Although celebrities might seem untouchable to the rest of us, the rich and famous still experience the woes of regular people. One of them is domestic abuse, which is extremely complex and can present itself in all kinds of ways. Unfortunately, having that coveted celeb status won’t protect you from the perils of domestic violence, but opening up about it and speaking out against it can help you or a loved one get the help you need. Here are the top celebrities who have been affected by domestic violence.
1. Rihanna
Rihanna shocked the world when we saw pictures of her brutalized by then-partner Chris Brown. One evening in 2009, the rapper tried to push his girlfriend out of the car. He slammed her head against the car window and punched her multiple times. He continued with threats of physical violence, but luckily Rihanna’s assistant called the police, who arrested Brown and charged him with multiple felonies. Today, she’s living a healthier and happier life with A$AP Rocky.
2. Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera experienced domestic abuse at the hands of her father, who emotionally and physically mistreated her. She escaped in musicals like “The Sound of Music” but it took a relationship with her ex, Jordan Bratman, to break that cycle, as well as the practice of yoga, which has helped her health with trauma and be present in the moment.
3. Halle Berry
When most people think of Halle Berry, they think of an empowered goddess, not a victim. But Halle once told an interviewer that her mother was a survivor at the hands of her father, and famously said that domestic violence could happen to anyone — even celebrities. After watching this abuse, Berry claims that she’s struggled with self-worth and choosing the right partner in her own life.
4. FKA Twigs
This is one of the most recent domestic abuse cases in Hollywood’s history, with FKA filing a lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf, who made rules about everything from not making eye contact with men to how many times she’d have to kiss him a day. In the lawsuit, the singer accused Shia of inflicting emotional distress, assault, and sexual battery. She experienced “relentless abuse” and was even supported by another ex of Shia LaBeouf who described similarly traumatic experiences. From not making eye contact with men to rules about how many times she’d have to kiss him, the singer’s experience sounded terrifying.
5. Charlize Theron
This award-winning actress witnessed a horrifying result of domestic abuse when she was just a child in South Africa. Theron’s dad was an abusive alcoholic, and one night, he came home drunk and started shooting in the house. In an act of self-defense, Charlize’s mother shot back, killing him. Theron told Diane Sawyer that if she could change the past at all, she would make her parents get a divorce.
6. Tyler Perry
Anyone who thinks that only women are abused would be very wrong. When Tyler Perry was a child, his alcohol-addicted father was only a chapter in Perry’s history of abuse. When he was only 10, his friend’s mother sexually assaulted him, and his grandmother once gave him a bath in ammonia to supposedly get rid of his allergies.
7. Tina Turner
The tumultuous relationship between Tina and Ike turner has been known by many and is one of the most famous abusive relationships in Hollywood. After a 2005 interview with Oprah, she told the talk show host that he was proud of portraying himself as a “woman hater” and somebody in control. She admitted that there were multiple times she “picked up the gun” when Ike was asleep.
8. Amber Heard
While Amber Heard’s abuse allegations against Johnny Depp were controversial, to say the least, Amber spoke her truth with the #GirlGlazeProject, creating a video PSA about domestic violence. She reminded viewers that as a “woman having gone through this in the public stage,” they weren’t alone in their fight.
9. Jennifer Lopez
In her memoir dubbed “True Love”, J.Lo revealed that she felt her marriage with ex-husband Marc Anthony was abusive in nature. While she was in the makeup chair, she had that moment of clarity, realizing that while he had never physically hurt her, “I’ve felt abused in one way or another: mentally, emotionally, verbally. I know what it feels like for your soul to be diminished by the way your loved one is treating you.”
