10 Celebs Who Have Spoken Out About Their Experience With Domestic Violence

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men have been victims of some form of physical abuse by a partner. The coalition also reports that one in seven women and one in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime.
Domestic violence is an issue that crosses gender, race, and socioeconomic lines. Nobody is immune from it. You can end up in a relationship with someone who disrespects you in a variety of ways, regardless of your age, wealth, or status. It can happen between parents and children, close parents, or close friends. Domestic violence can be caused by a variety of things, including a lack of access to mental health treatment and the restrictions brought on by financial abuse.
We all know that no one is immune to domestic violence, not even famous people who have access to all the opportunities in the world. We have gathered 10 famous people who have bravely spoken about their own experiences with domestic violence.

#1 Christina Aguilera

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When the trauma Christina Aguilera underwent as a kid overwhelmed her, she would concentrate on Julie Andrews singing "The Sound of Music." Aguilera said that throughout her youth, her father had physically and emotionally abused her. Aguilera claimed that her marriage to Jordan Bratman, her ex-husband, helped her end the cycle of abuse. After she and Bratman split in 2011, they remained friendly and "happily share custody" of their son, Max. She wished she could inspire and encourage others to speak up for themselves. In addition, she thanked yoga for helping her in getting over the tragedy of her early years. Aguilera has raised funds for domestic abuse charity by selling her concert tickets and memorabilia.

#2 Patrick Stewart

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Because of his abusive father, a World War II soldier, Sir Patrick Stewart lived in constant fear as a child. Stewart claimed that as a young child, he saw his father repeatedly assault his mother. In addition to feeling helpless as a child, Stewart claimed that the authorities frequently condoned the abuse. When called to the house after his father violently abused his mother, he remembers, the police or emergency medical workers would comment, “She must have provoked him,” or “Mrs. Stewart, it takes two to make a fight.” Stewart believes that only men are to blame for acts of violence because they choose to commit them. Sir Patrick now is a supporter of Refuge, which created the first safe shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence in West London in 1971.

#3 April Hernandez-Castillo

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When April Hernandez-Castillo was a teenager, her ex-boyfriend physiologically and mentally mistreated her. She stayed in the abusive relationship for almost ten years because, like many victims of domestic violence, she was embarrassed to tell anyone.
She now handles her acting career with a ministry she co-founded with her husband, Jose. She visits child facilities in New York City as a trained youth chaplain. “I realize that all of these kids have powerful stories to tell. I want them to know that their story can be a powerful help to others. They can take their mess and make it into a message, and create something positive no matter the situation,” said Hernandez-Castillo.

#4 Halle Berry

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When Halle Berry was a small girl, she saw her father physically abuse her mother. Berry claims that anyone, even famous people, is susceptible to domestic violence. Despite Berry's tremendous success, the scars from seeing her mother's violence at the hands of her father remain. And her mother is still confused about why she allowed the abuse to continue and why she exposed her children to it.
Due to these experiences, Berry supports the Jenesse Center, a domestic violence intervention center based in Los Angeles that offers refuge, support, and other services to women in violent relationships and their children.

#5 Tyler Perry

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Tyler Perry is one of Hollywood's most affluent Renaissance men. But he was born Emmitt Perry Jr., a name he changed to separate himself from his controlling and alcoholic father. He previously said Perry Sr. was a man "whose answer to everything was to beat it out of you."
Additionally, he revealed that a friend's mother had sexually assaulted him when he was 10 years old. To cure his allergies, his grandmother also gave him an ammonia bath. According to Perry, forgiving those who had mistreated him was the most crucial lesson he ever learned.

#6 Debbi Morgan

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For most of her life, Debbi Morgan experienced domestic abuse. Morgan used to describe in 2015 how her father broke down their front door and slaughtered her mother with a pole. She stated that although her mother tried to scream, she was unable to do so. She found it horrifying to witness that as a young child.

According to a 2015 People article, Morgan was married to three violent men before ending the relationship with her current spouse. It serves as an example of how childhood domestic violence can ruin a person's life.

#7 Dwayne Haskins

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Dwayne Haskins and Kalabrya Gondrezick-Haskins got into a fight in their hotel room at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in July 2021.
According to ESPN, the couple was arguing about traveling to Sin City to renew their vows and celebrate with friends. A police report claims that as the argument heated up, Gondrezick-Haskins punched her husband in the mouth, causing him to lose a tooth. Around 2:30 a.m. PDT, the police were called to their hotel, and Haskins was brought to the hospital. Gondrezick-Haskins is accused of battery and domestic violence that resulted in bodily harm, which is a felony. According to Haskins' Instagram, the duo is still together.
Sadly, Haskins was struck and killed by a vehicle on a highway near Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 9, 2022. He was 24.

#8 Mariska Hargitay

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Mariska Hargitay, who played Detective Olivia Benson on the enduring television program "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," has lived, breathed, and even solved horrible crimes against women and children despite not having personally suffered domestic violence.
She established the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004, a nonprofit organization that has helped several victims of domestic and sexual assault as well as the professionals who support them. She claimed that when she first did studies for her SVU position, the statistics on abuse as well as the letters she would receive from viewers sharing their tales left her in disbelief. Joyful Heart took part in the No More PSA campaign, which aims to raise public awareness of domestic abuse and sexual assault to put an end to these crimes.

#9 Charlize Theron

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When Charlize Theron was a young girl growing up in South Africa, she saw horrifying instances of domestic violence. Charles, her father, was a violent alcoholic. He once came home after drinking and started firing into the house. Gerda, Theron's mother, fired back and finished him out.
Theron's mother was never charged since the shooting was declared to be a self-defense scenario in court. Theron assured Sawyer that she would make her parents divorce if she could go back in time. She serves as a UN Messenger of Peace at the moment.

#10 Rihanna

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One of the most well-known cases of domestic violence occurred in 2009 when musician Chris Brown attempted to push his girlfriend Rihanna out of his car. He repeatedly attacked her the night before the Grammys, hitting her head against a car window. Once they returned home, he made threats to attack her again, but Rihanna had her assistant phone the police, who then detained Brown and charged him with two felonies.
Brown pled guilty to felony assault by means likely to cause great bodily injury and was sentenced to five years probation and 180 days of community labor. He was also ordered via restraining order to stay away from Rihanna. However, Rihanna later obtained the lifting of the restraining order against Brown, and the two briefly reconciled — a scenario that’s not uncommon among victims of domestic violence, the NCADV reports.
Rihanna claims that during that relationship, she endured a great deal of pain. She did, however, consider the possibility that she was perhaps designed to deal with this issue. She hoped she could set a good example for others to speak up about their circumstances. Rihanna eventually concluded that Brown couldn't be changed and that she deserved better treatment from a love partner. So in 2013, she ended their relationship permanently.