10 Celebrities Who Were Victims Of Domestic Violence And Abusive Relationships

Not all that glitter is gold. Not all today's famous people were born privileged. Some come from a humble background, some even experienced tough days right in their families, romantic relationships, or professional lives. They were the victims of domestic violence. Though these days are gone, they are sometimes nightmares in their sleep.
Some celebrities avoid speaking up about their past. Meanwhile, some are open up about their old days, both the good time and bad time. They want to face it and hope that the way they deal with their tough days may empower, to encourage people out there to find their voice. And, they also feel thankful for their past as it has shaped who they are now. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
In this post, we're gonna share the stories of 10 celebrities who have been outspoken about their personal experiences with domestic abuse. Keep reading!

#1 Christina Aguilera

Source: EMMA MCINTYRE, GETTY IMAGES

Christina Aguilera suffered from physical and emotional abuse from her father throughout her childhood. These days ended when she married her then-husband, Jordan Bratman.
"I could be bitter about my childhood, but if anything, I'm thankful that I have that experience. I know my bigger purpose is to empower, to encourage other people to find their voice."
To heal from her traumatic childhood, the singer has done yoga. "Yoga has helped me to appreciate the moment and be okay with the now,” she told Women’s Health.

#2 Halle Berry

Source: AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY IMAGES

Domestic violence can happen to anyone, including celebrities. Halle Berry grew up with a battered woman-mother, so it is not hard to imagine what the actress experienced during her childhood.
Berry said that scars coming from watching her mother’s abuse at the hands of her father still linger.
Berry has been a supporter of the Jenesse Center, a Los Angeles–based domestic violence intervention program that provides shelter, support, and other services to women in abusive relationships and to their children.

#3 Rihanna

Source: Rich Fury/Getty Images

Rihanna suffered domestic violence during her romantic relationship with her then-boyfriend rapper Chris Brown. In 2019, Brown tried to push her out of his car. Another time, he banged her head against a passenger window and punched her repeatedly the night before the Grammy award. That was not the end. He threatened to beat her again once they got home but Rihanna's assistant called the police. Brown was charged with two felonies, serving five years in probation and 180 days of community labor.

#4 Patrick Stewart

Source: Rich Fury / Getty Images North America

Sir Patrick Stewart grow up suffering horrific fear from his abusive father, a World War II military veteran. He had no help. Not just that, the authorities often condoned the violence.
“As a child, I witnessed his repeated violence against my mother, and the terror and misery he caused was such that, if I felt I could have succeeded, I would have killed him.” He said
The distinguished, award-winning actor has been a patron of Refuge, which opened the world’s first safe house for women and children escaping domestic violence in West London in 1971.

#5 Charlize Theron

Source: Getty Images for CTAOP

Charlize Theron witnessed horrific domestic violence during her childhood. On that fateful night, her father came home drunk and started shooting his gun, threatening to kill both Charlize and her mother. Her mother, then, grabbed another gun and shot and killed Charles. Her mother was declared innocent due to self-defence. They then moved away from South Africa.

#6 April Hernandez-Castillo

Source: nextbiography

Hernandez-Castillo’s April Hernandez-Castillo was once physically and emotionally abused by her then-boyfriend. The actress, a teenager, and young adult then, felt ashamed and didn’t tell anyone. And she suffered an abusive relationship for almost 10 years.

#7 Nicki Minaj

Source: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Nicki Minaj experienced a tough childhood. Her parents fought and yelled and hit each other all the time. Her crack-addicted father attempted to murder Nicki and her mother several times. One night in 1987, her father started demanding money from her mother and burned down their house while Nicki and her mother were still inside. There was another time when her father pulled her mother out of a car and dragged her on the ground for two blocks.

#8 Debbi Morgan

Source: JPI

Debbi Morgan lived with domestic violence for most of her life. She suffered from domestic violence during her childhood and was married to three abusive men. This cycle breaks when she got married to her current husband, Jeffrey Winston.
Morgan wrote a memoir about her experiences, The Monkey on My Back, was published in June 2015.

#9 Tyler Perry

Source: Getty Images

Tyler Perry changed his name to Emmitt Perry Jr. to distance himself from his abusive, alcoholic father. The Entertainment empire unto once described Perry Sr. as a man “whose answer to everything was to beat it out of you.”
Perry also revealed that he was sexually assaulted by a friend's mother at the age of 10. And his grandmother bathed him in ammonia to rid him of his allergies.

#10 Dwayne Haskins

Source: AP

Men can be victims of domestic violence. This is what happened with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
Dwayne Haskins was abused by his wife, Kalabrya Gondrezick-Haskins. Back in July 2021, the couple traveled to Sin City to renew their wedding vow and celebrate with friends. They later went into an argument in their hotel room at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The former Ohio State Buckeyes football player was punched into his mouth by his wife, causing him to lose a tooth. However, the pair remain together.