President Obama's Half Brother Says Their Father Was Abusive

President Obama's half brother is speaking out about abuse he claims he received at the hands of their father. Mark Ndesandj told the Associated Press that he wrote a semi-autobiographical book about an abusive parent largely based on the man with whom they share DNA.

He told the AP,

“My father beat my mother and my father beat me, and you don't do that. It's something which I think affected me for a long time, and it's something that I've just recently come to terms with.”

The President has never spoken of abuse from his father. In his memoir he claims that his father was exceedingly absent in his life up until his death in 1982.

Ndesandi would not speak on his relationship with his brother but has plans to see him when the President visits China, where he resides, on November 15.

President Obama has at least six other siblings in Kenya.

Barack Obama, Sr. divorced the head of state's mother in 1964.