The Stories Behind Celebrities Who Fell Victims to Domestic Abuse

Since it is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we thought it was necessary to load you up on some factual information. First of all, did you know that an average of 1 in 3 women across the world is physically abused by her loved one or a family member during her lifetime? Violence against women is an issue that has been going on since the beginning of time and must be stopped. Silence is not the answer, nor is hiding your bruises, speaking up and standing up for yourself is the key. We knew that over 50 celebrities were subjected to domestic violence, so we got inspired to find out what happened and how they dealt with it. Here are a few stories of celebrities who were victims of domestic violence...

Rihanna 

The whole world knew of Rihanna's story, a victim of domestic abuse at the hand of her boyfriend at the time, Chris Brown. Photos of her in the hospital were leaked after the incident. A while later on an interview with Diane Sawyer, Rihanna opened up about the incident, explaining in detail what had happened to her. Her message was, "It is important for young women to know this is not a sign of love. Violence, controlling behavior and abusive behavior is not love."

Madonna

This happened back in 1987, when Madonna was married to Sean Penn. Madonna was domestically abused by Sean Penn, and he was charged with domestic assault at the time. The couple later divorced in 1989.

Halle Berry 

Halle Berry was yet another women who was a victim of domestic violence, where she was abused so bad that she lost 80% of her hearing. She has been determined to raise awareness about domestic violence, donating money to help domestic violence victims at the Jenesse Center in Los Angeles. She also worked to renovate apartments for women and children fleeing from domestic abuse. 

Chirstina Aguilera 

Chirstina Aguilera has spoken about her suffering from domestic abuse by her father. She has cut all ties and has been estranged from her father for the past 10 years. She spoke openly about how a man like him is not necessary in her life.

Christina Applegate

Christina Applegate was beat up by her boyfriend for three years. She opened up about how she was a victim of abuse and how she didn't have the courage to come forward with the truth. She said that she wants people to realize that anybody can get themselves into such a situation, and that it has nothing to do about being weak, it just happens at times when you least expect it. 

Julianne Hough

Although famously know for Dancing with the Stars, Julianne Hough is yet another celebrity who fell victim to domestic abuse. She spoke about it in one of her interviews and how she felt the need to stand up for herself. She stated that she didn't want to be the person she was becoming and took a stand. 

Oprah Winfrey

A name everyone in the world recognizes was also a victim of domestic abuse when she was a child, to the point that she had run away from home. Nowadays, Oprah uses her fame and fortune promoting causes such as ending violence against women and is a powerful advocate of women empowerment.