PUSSYCAT Dolls star Kimberly Wyatt has bravely opened up about her childhood sexual abuse.
The singer, 44, revealed how her past trauma had “chipped away at her soul”, as she talked about what had happened in an emotional meeting with .
Pussycat Dolls star Kimberly Wyatt has opened up about being sexually abused as a childCredit: YouTube
The star opened up to Davina McCall on her podcastCredit: YouTube
Kimberly revealed her childhood was blighted by ‘darkness’Credit: YouTube
, who is part of the , has revealed she was abused at the age of three.
The star – who made no suggestion it was her parents who had abused her – opened up to Davina on her Begin Again podcast .
has spoken in the past about being molested as a toddler and also how someone tried to rape her when she was 17 and working on a cruise ship.
But in her new interview with Davina, she bravely talked about her childhood being blighted by “darkness”, and left her “struggling to look in the mirror”.
Kimberly, who is happily married to husband Max Rogers, said: “You know I experienced a lot of sexual abuse and that really chipped away at my confidence, at my soul, at my feeling of being safe and that really was the making of me as a kid. I was very introverted.”
Delving into her childhood, the mum-of-three said: “I grew up in a small, little town in , Middle America called Warrensburg, very much a farm town.
“My dad delivered fuel to farmers and he was a fuel guide, delivering oil, driving trucks, was gone a lot. My mum worked for him, so we lived on a farm way out in the country in my smaller years.
“It was idyllic in so many ways because I loved to try to be just as tough as the boys and loved going muddying in trucks and doing all this farm life.
“Gosh in the UK I don’t even see these types of things going on. So to think back there’s so much of it that’s pretty brilliant, of what I got to experience in those early farm years.”
Continuing Kimberly said: “But it was also the making and the breaking of me, living in that wonderful little lovely area. My grandmother lived just around the corner…
Kimberly shot to fame in the Pussycat Dolls in the noughtiesCredit: Getty – Contributor
Kimberly is happily married to husband Max Rogers and has three childrenCredit: Getty
“My grandmother was my everything, Grandma Jane. She showed me a love and a selflessness that to this day, that’s what has made me the mum that I strive to be everyday when I wake up…
“The bad was I had brilliant parents, I think who tried their best but there was a lot of darkness in my very young years, through my formative years to my young teen years.”
Talking about her past trauma and how she has tried to evolve in the years since, she said: “I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror.
“I was constantly running away from social situations. I didn’t have a lot of friends and I think that those moments were really what defined why that made me who I was in that time.
Kimberly is part of the new Pussycat Dolls comebackCredit: Getty
“But the thing that turned everything around for me was getting into the dance studio.
“I stepped into the dance studio because I loved the Olympics, I loved the and the and what these people could do with their bodies and the stories they could tell through movement.”
The star then said: “I experienced a lot of sexual abuse that really chipped away at my soul. But getting into dance really opened my eyes. There’s a whole world out there.”
in the in 2003.
After relocating to Britain from the US, the star has since become a household name in the UK.
Kimberly has been on shows like , The Jump and she even won the BBC’s
It was recently revealed that the talented star would be joining h and in the .
Help after rape and sexual assault
If you've been sexually assaulted it's important to remember that it was not your fault. Sexual violence is a crime, no matter who commits it or where it happens. Don't be afraid to get help.
There are services that can help if you’ve been sexually assaulted, raped or abused.
You don’t have to report the assault to the police if you don’t want to. You may need time to think about what has happened to you.
But you should get medical help for any injuries and because you may be at risk of pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) . If you want the crime to be investigated, it’s best to have a forensic medical examination as soon as possible.
Try not to wash or change your clothes immediately after a sexual assault. This may destroy forensic evidence that could be important if you decide to report the assault to the police (although you can still go to the police even if you have washed).
Where to get help
Sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) offer medical, practical and emotional support to anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted or abused. SARCs have specially trained doctors, nurses and support workers to care for you.
Other places you can get help include:
- a doctor or practice nurse at your GP surgery
- a voluntary organisation, such as Rape Crisis , Women’s Aid , Victim Support , The Survivors Trust or Male Survivors Partnership
- the 24-hour freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge , on 0808 2000 247
- the rape and sexual abuse support line run by Rape Crisis England and Wales – you can call the helpline on 0808 500 2222 or use the online chat (both are free and are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year)
- a hospital accident and emergency (A&E) department
- a genitourinary medicine (GUM) or sexual health clinic
- a contraceptive clinic
- a young people’s service
- call NHS 111 or get help from 111 online
- the police, or dial 101
- in an emergency, dial 999.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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