Although it didn’t affect much in terms of Straight Outta Compton’s box office dominance for three consecutive weeks, Dr. Dre’s 1991 physical attack on journalist Dee Barnes was an underlying storyline through most of the media. The incident was noticeably absent from the film for reasons, as director F. Gary Gray claims, to not detract focus from the overall story of the N.W.A.
Barnes wrote extensively about her issues with the movie (which has since grossed more than $180 million worldwide) but up until now, hasn’t given a full-length interview on the matter. While speaking to Kevin Powell on the Huffington Post, she broke her silence once and for all and even offered up new revelations.
After reliving the scenes of the attack for viewers (“I mean it’s no secret… [Dre] grabbed me by my hair and started slamming me up against the wall. It’s a painful and traumatic experience”), Barnes revealed that she became a symbol of hope for young girls who told her she was the one they were learning from.
“I had young girls watching, [ages] 13 and 14 so I got emails from young girls saying ‘You were my first experience with domestic violence,’” Barnes recalled. “I was too busy trying to survive. It was vicious.”
Barnes also elaborated on her thoughts of being mentioned in Eminem’s 1999 song, “Guilty Conscience” and outlined her plans for the future, which included penning a memoir.
On August 27, through a statement with The New York Times, Dr. Dre apologized to all “the women he had hurt” in the past.
Watch Dee Barnes informative sitdown with the Huffington Post here.
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Photo: Huffington Post
