Oprah Winfrey couldn’t contain her emotions when she discussed her own traumatic experiences in the new mental health series, The Me You Can’t See.
The talk show host recalled how her adult cousin took advantage of her when she was only 9 years old.
“At 9 and 10 and 11 and 12 years old, I was raped by my 19 year old cousin,” Oprah said.
“I didn’t know what rape was. I certainly wasn’t aware of the word. I had no idea what sex was, I had no idea where babies came from, I didn’t even know what was happening to me. And I kept that secret,” the 67-year-old continued.
“And it’s just something I accepted. That a girl child ain’t safe in a world full of men.”
Oprah also revealed how she was abused by her relatives, including her uncle. She was 14 when she got pregnant and was sent to live with her father. However, the baby passed away only two weeks after birth.
Oprah said that the first person who raped her was her 19-year-old cousin, who took advantage of her for many years.
“He took me to an ice cream shop — blood still running down my leg — and bought me ice cream,” she shared.
Growing up, she was also subjected to other forms of abuse. “The way I was raised by my grandmother and whipped at three and four and five and six years old.
“My grandmother, who was very harsh, like a lot of Black parents during that era, the idea of hugging and loving on your child or even allowing the child to feel seen was just not a part of her life.”
She continued: “But she did give me Jesus. She did give me a belief in something bigger than myself. So I am grateful for that.”
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