Report: Queen Latifah says she was sexually abused

06/10/2009 3:29 PM, AP


Queen Latifah has revealed a traumatic chapter of her personal life: The singer-actress was sexually abused as a child.

In the latest issue of Essence magazine, Latifah says the abuse occurred over a period of time, and at the hands of a teenager charged with watching her.

"He violated me," says Latifah. "I never told anybody; I just buried it as deeply as I could and kept people at an arm's distance."

The 39-year-old entertainer, whose new album "Persona" arrives in July, says the abuse affected her relationships.

She eventually told her parents, and has gone through therapy to come to terms with what happened.

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