Former Miss America and Grammy Award-winning actress, Vanessa Williams, recently opened up about being molested as a child by a family friend.
In a recent appearance on Oprah’s Master Class, Williams recounted the time she visited California for the first time with her family. During her trip, they stayed with a family friend and was introduced to their daughter, who was 18-years-old at the time. She described her as one of the “cool” girls who “made you feel” like an adult.
But Williams’ respect and admiration for her older friend took different turn when she was visited by her in the middle of the night.
“She took my bottoms of and she told me to be quiet, and she went down on me,” she said. “And at 10 years old, I had no idea what it was, but I knew it felt good and I knew I shouldn’t be saying anything…I knew it felt good, but it was also something that I knew wasn’t supposed to be happening.”
Due to matters surrounding a family death, the actress never said anything to anyone about her molestation, waiting on a more appropriate time to bring it up.
“At that young age, having that happen to you, in your body, it awakens your sexuality at an age that it shouldn’t be awakened,” she added. “I think that had that not happened in my life, and I had an opportunity to have a normal courtship with a boyfriend at 16 or whatever, and have your normal first kiss, you know, there wouldn’t have been that shame that was kind of always haunting me.”
[via Essence]
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Photos: WENN
